


Baby Daddy

by Ultra



Series: Baby Daddy [1]
Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: 1980s, Alternate Universe - Canon, Character Development, Developing Relationship, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Friendship/Love, Growing Up, Meet the Family, Teen Angst, Teen Pregnancy, Teenagers, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 19:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 43,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15914835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: In April 1984, Lorelai Gilmore discovers she is pregnant and has no idea how to tell her parents. She gets on a bus and arrives in the little town of Stars Hollow where she runs into a kind young man named Luke Danes, whose father runs the local hardware store. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Began life as a one-shot entitled 'Only Sixteen.'

It wasn’t supposed to rain today. The thought kept playing over and over in her head as she trudged down the street from the bus stop. She was only a few miles from Hartford and it had been dry there, the sun shining brightly as if it was just trying to remind her what a mess she was in a perfect world. 

Rich and beautiful, that was her family, as with many in Hartford. She was meant to be the great heiress to a fortune, the intelligent young woman that would go to college and get her degree, then catch a rich husband, settle down with two point four kids, and live like her parents did now. It was their plan, never Lorelai’s own. Of course, she hadn’t exactly planned what was happening to her now either.

Pregnant. Barely sixteen years old, preparing for a cotillion, studying for school, sneaking out of her bedroom on a Friday night to see her boyfriend. That was Lorelai’s life up to now, and then everything changed when she realised she was having a baby.

Her parents were going to kill her, or worse they were going to start running her life like a well-oiled machine, lying to the neighbours, forcing her and Christopher to get married. It would be a disaster, at least Lorelai thought so, or she might think so, if she could straighten out her head even a minute.

Pulling on her hood to keep it over her head, even hiding her face as much as possible, she trudged on down the street. Lorelai didn’t feel the water soaking into her pants or sloshing into the sides of her shoes. They would be ruined, but then what the hell wasn’t right in this moment? It felt like her whole life was in pieces and all Lorelai could do in an attempt to keep sane was carry on walking, thinking, wishing the world away for a while.

“Hey, Liz, come back here!” said a voice too suddenly, a hand grabbing onto Lorelai’s shoulder.

Instinctively, she flinched away, threw back her arm to strike at what might be an attacker. She turned in time to see a boy that couldn’t be much older than her as he leapt back and away from her flying fist.

“I’m sorry,” he said immediately, looking into her pale, mascara-streaked face. “Really, I am, I... I thought you were my sister. She has a similar jacket and she ran out before. I’m sorry,” he explained, folding his arms as the rain continued to pelt down on him.

He wasn’t even wearing a jacket himself, just a big plaid shirt that was getting soaked through, and a backwards baseball cap. On any other given day, Lorelai might’ve thought he was cute. Right now, all she had in her was an urge to cry, and so she did.

“Oh, geez,” muttered the mysterious stranger, as he watched the girl that was definitely not his sister cry openly into her hands.

When she turned to start walking away again, he knew he couldn’t let her. She wasn’t from Stars Hollow that was for sure. The place was small enough, you just got to know everybody, and he would remember someone as pretty as her.

“Hey!” he called after her, mindful of touching her even when he caught up after the last time. “I, er... I’m Luke. Luke Danes,” he explained when she glanced at him. “Do you wanna come inside a while? You look like you could use a cup of coffee or something.”

He gestured over his shoulder and Lorelai frowned.

“You wanna buy me coffee at a hardware store?” she asked, sniffling from the cold and her crying jag both, even though she knew her mother would tell her it was a horrible habit. “You’d probably have more luck getting a hammer or some shellac.”

“It’s my dad’s place.” Luke smiled kindly. “He works long hours, so he keeps the coffee handy in his office. You just look like you could use a warm drink, and maybe somewhere to hide out from the rain?”

Lorelai opened her mouth to refuse, but honestly, now that she thought about, she was cold and wet through. Even if she didn’t care about her own health, she ought to consider the life inside of her. This baby didn’t deserve to die because she gave herself a thoughtless case of hypothermia. Besides, this guy seemed nice enough. What was the worst that could happen in a sleepy little town like Stars Hollow? All at once she nodded her head and hurried after Luke as he headed into the hardware store.

The guy Lorelai presumed to be Luke’s father was serving a customer when they went in and didn’t bat an eye as they headed out back and then upstairs. Lorelai started to wonder if she’d been very dumb coming in here. Shivering as she was from head to toe, the warmth that started to seep into her in the old shop was at least comforting, but she knew what would come next. As soon as she got to the office door, she stalled. Luke looked back at her from the desk where he was checking the coffee was still hot and began pouring it into two mugs.

“You coming in?” he checked.

Lorelai visibly squirmed.

“Maybe,” she said, breathing in deeply and loving the smell that came to her nose. “I just... I want one thing to be clear before I do,” she said definitely. “If this conversation turns into ‘let’s get you out of those wet clothes’ or anything similar, I’ll be out of here so fast, you’ll think Speedy Gonzales went through, and I swear you’ll be a crying heap on the floor from the force with which I will kick you before I leave.”

Her eyes flashed when she spoke, so determined and just threatening enough to make Luke pay attention. He wasn’t afraid. After all, she was just a skinny little thing and he was the local high school hurdles champion two years running. She couldn’t hurt him. Well, probably not anyway. Of course, his intentions never tended the way she meant in the first place.

“Hey, I am not...! I did not invite you up here for that,” he said just as definitely as she had spoken herself. “I was trying to be a good neighbour or whatever, offer you a place to hide out ‘til the rain is gone, get you a a nice hot hit of caffeine. That is all I’m offering.”

Lorelai felt bad for accusing him, even worse when she reached out to take the mug of coffee he had brought her and then felt the need to retract her hands. Caffeine. The sweet, glorious drug she had already become so addicted to. She was pregnant now, so that was out. No coffee, unless it was decaff, and this stuff wouldn’t be, she was sure.

“Um, no,” she said awkwardly, putting her hands into her pockets. “I’m sorry, I... I should go.”

She turned to leave, not knowing where she was going to run this time, but there had to be somewhere, anywhere that was better than home.

“It’s still pouring out there!” Luke called after her, prompting her to stop at the top of the stairs, and turn to see him framed in the doorway. “You’ll get sick.”

“Why do you care?” asked Lorelai.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Maybe because you seem like a decent person. This crack-pot town doesn’t have many of those, and I kinda don’t wanna see something bad happen to the first intelligent person I’ve met in years.” He smiled.

Lorelai laughed a little at his joke. At least, she assumed that’s what it was. He really did seem like a nice guy, and heading back out into the rain didn’t appeal, not even a little bit. At least inside was warm, even if she couldn’t drink coffee right now.

“You have anything else hot to drink?” she checked. “Maybe hot chocolate?” she tried.

“Um, I don’t know...” Luke said awkwardly, adjusting the baseball cap on his head as he looked back into the office. “Come in, sit down, I’ll be back in like two seconds.”

“Oh, okay,” said Lorelai, moving past him into the quaint little office. “But where are you going in the next two seconds?”

“Well, two is pushing it, but I can run pretty fast.” He smirked, looking kind of proud. “Stars Hollow High Hurdles Champion, ‘82 and ‘83,” he admitted, pointing a thumb into his own chest.

“Wow.” Lorelai smiled a little, hoping she sounded impressed.

Truth was she was kind of underwhelmed. Track wasn’t a sport in her opinion. Football players were pretty hot, but the running types never thrilled her. Christopher wasn’t really a jock at all. Lorelai frowned suddenly at the random thought she wished she hadn’t had, one hand going absently to her stomach. Thankfully, Luke was already gone off on his errand and didn’t notice.

Alone in the office, Lorelai wandered aimlessly around, running her hand along the desk, picking up various items and trinkets only to put them right back where she found them. It was definitely a quaint little place, and not just this office either, the shop downstairs, and the whole town, she noted as she stared out of the window. Almost immediately she looked, she saw Luke running back towards the store. He had to be soaked through, since he still hadn’t put on a jacket or anything, but that didn’t seem to bother him. Depending on the kindness of strangers was not something Lorelai was used to doing, but honestly, anyone and anywhere was better than dealing with Richard and Emily right now.

“Not exactly two seconds but...” Luke was grinning as he appeared with a can of hot chocolate powder that had been hidden under his plaid shirt as he ran back.

“Thank you,” Lorelai smiled politely, taking a seat on what seemed to be the only available seat by the desk, whilst Luke fixed her drink for her.

“So, I don’t mean to pry but if you wanna talk about this bad day I gotta assume you’re having...” he said, without turning to look at her.

“I wouldn’t know where to start,” she laughed painfully, one hand playing idly with the stapler on the desk, picking it up and dropping it down from all of half an inch up. “Do your parents try to control you?” she asked suddenly.

“Not really,” Luke shrugged. “My Mom was great, she just... she just wanted me and Liz to be whatever we wanted to be,” he explained. “But since she died, Dad is... He doesn’t know how to deal with us, honestly,” he said, bringing Lorelai’s hot chocolate over to her. “He tries.”

“Thanks,” she said, taking her drink in both hands and revelling at the warmth of the mug against her hands. “My parents just think I need them to make every decision for me. They think because I’m sixteen I don’t know anything, but I do. I know more than they do right now,” she said, eyes seeming to almost glaze over as she stared into her hot drink.

Luke wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t even know this girl’s name, never mind who her parents were or what they were like. They certainly didn’t seem to be of any use to their beautiful daughter.

“They don’t... I mean, they don’t hurt you, do they?” he asked awkwardly, his meaning clear to Lorelai.

She smiled at his concern as he sat down on the edge of the desk near to her.

“No, nothing like that,” she promised, taking a sip of her chocolate. “I don’t think they mean to be so overbearing or crazy.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s not been so bad, but I just know when I tell them the latest news... My life is going to change forever, and they’re going to want that change to be so way different to what I want. I don’t know how I’m gonna deal,” she explained, a wobble coming back to her voice and tears filling her eyes.

“Well, I don’t know you that well... or at all, really,” Luke said awkwardly. “But you don’t seem like the type of person that’s going to take anything lying down.”

Lorelai snorted a laugh at the irony, something he could never understand. Taking things lying down, in the more literal sense, was what had got her into this position in the first place. She turned her face away as the tears started to course down her cheeks again.

Luke didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t so bad at dealing with girls, but he wasn’t exactly Casanova either. People said having a sister made you better with women, gave you a better understanding, but Luke didn’t think so. Liz acted so crazy and was such a pain in the rear. At eighteen, she still seemed like such a kid sometimes. Girls like this were different, but Luke still didn’t understand them, and he had no idea what to do for the best when they started crying.

“Hey, um... I’m sorry, I don’t actually know your name,” he said then, apparently only just now realising she had never told him. 

It hadn’t seemed to matter until now.

“Lorelai,” she admitted, swallowing hard as she dragged a hand across her face.

“Lorelai”, he repeated, handing her the balled up handkerchief from his pocket. “That’s pretty.”

“Thanks,” she told him, perhaps for the compliment as much as something to wipe her face with.

They sat there in fairly comfortable silence for a few moments. It took Lorelai a while to notice his arm had crept around her back in a comforting gesture. She figured that’s what it was. Luke didn’t seem to be putting the moves on her. After all, she had warned him not to. Besides, he just seemed so sweet and genuinely caring. He pulled her in out of the rain and made sure she was okay when he didn’t even know her. That was kind of extraordinary in this world where most people were all out for what they could get from you. Lorelai smiled a little.

“You’re a good guy, Luke Danes,” she told him, looking up to meet his eyes. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you any different.”

With that she got back to her feet, straightened out her damp clothes and looked towards the window. The heavy shower had passed, the sun breaking through the clouds. It was time to go home.

“You leaving already?” he asked as she took a step towards the door. “Because you can stay a while, if you want.”

“No, I can’t,” she told him with a shake of her head, making damp curls dance around her shoulders. “As much as I don’t want to, I really have to get home, deal with my parents.” She rolled her eyes. “But thank you, seriously. You helped a lot,” she promised him.

The next minute she was gone from his sight. Luke sat staring into the empty space before him and sighed. He figured he’d probably never see Lorelai again, and wondered at how heavy that made his heart.


	2. Chapter 2

“Son?”

Luke looked up sharply to find his father staring at him from beyond the counter. It was clear he was supposed to have been listening, that Dad was probably expecting an answer to a question, but for the life of him, Luke had no idea what had been said.

“Sorry, Dad,” he apologised, shaking his head. “I was-”

“Lost to a faraway galaxy again?” William suggested, smiling some. “Lucas, you really have to learn to concentrate, son. These past few days, it’s as if your mind is everywhere but on your work and your studies.”

Luke would have liked to tell his father he was wrong, but that would’ve been impossible. The truth was, he had a lot on his mind, and none of it was the kind of thing he would be comfortable telling Dad. Sometimes he was thinking about the past, about how the family used to be, when he and Liz were little and his mother was still alive. Other times, he was wondering what would become of his sister in the future. Luke was not at all comfortable with her dating Jimmy Mariano, or talking about running off to live in New York with him after graduation.

The other person playing on Luke’s mind was someone he barely knew at all. He smiled just thinking of her name - Lorelai - though that really was all he did know about her. No last name, no address. He wasn’t even sure what town she came from or what school she went to, though he suspected maybe Hartford. Though anybody could have over-bearing parents, Luke was well-aware that some of the rich kids from the blue-blood families had it worst of all when it came to people running their lives. Though the Danes were not exactly dirt poor, it made Luke all the more glad he wasn’t exactly born to privilege.

Luke had his freedom, such as it was. He didn’t exactly crave a lot out of life, but what he did want, he had. He grew up sure that his parents loved him and would always support him in whatever he wanted to do. There were friends and neighbours around that liked him, girls that would happily date him, and he had done okay in school. Thanks to a sports scholarship, he got into college and had been doing pretty good there for a while, until his father got sick.

“Luke, come on, now. Help Mrs Gleason with her order. She has enough to deal with already,” said William himself, gesturing to the poor woman with three older children hanging around her, bickering amongst themselves.

“Yes, sir,” said Luke to himself more than his father as he moved to assist the woman with the cans of paint she just purchased.

He smiled and tried to be friendly and helpful, but it was tough to keep his mind from wandering some more. Three days since he met Lorelai and she had already invaded his thoughts time out of number, and his dreams a couple of times too. Luke wondered if she was okay, what happened with her parents, if she was safe now, and hopefully happy. He wondered, but he didn’t know, and probably never would. That hurt more than he could explain, and was way more than he understood.

“Thank you, Luke” said Mrs Gleason with a smile, watching him put the last paint can into the trunk and close it down. “You’re a good boy.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am,” he said politely, raising one hand in a vague gesture of a wave before he turned back to the store.

The sight that met his eyes stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Hey, Track Star! I was hoping I’d see you.”

“Lorelai,” said Luke, smiling wide. “I wasn’t... You’re here,” he said pointlessly, leaning on what he expected to be a sturdy display unit - it wasn’t, and a collection of brooms went clattering to the sidewalk in a second. “Damnit!” he complained, moving fast to pick them up.

Lorelai put her hand to her face so he didn’t see her laugh. Funny as it all was, she really didn’t want to offend the guy. He had been so good to her the other day when she needed a friend. It was why she was here in the first place.

“Smooth moves, Danes,” she teased him, unable to help herself. “You always this cool?”

“Always, yes,” he countered, with a smile he couldn’t help - he figured her own grin was just that infectious. “You look happier than the last time.”

“Yeah, well.” Lorelai shrugged. “Happier is a relative term. I talked to my parents and though it was just exactly as bad as I thought it would be, the weight’s lifted now that they know the truth. No more secrets in the Gilmore house.”

Luke nodded that he understood, trying to keep the dumb grin on his face from spreading any wider. He knew her last name now. Lorelai Gilmore. It suited her. The first name was as beautiful as she was, and the last, well, she was definitely ‘more’ than any other person he ever met. More what, he couldn’t have said, but Luke knew what he meant anyway.

“Well, it’s good that you figured things out with your parents,” he said eventually, wiping his hands on his jeans, adjusting his hat, suddenly unsure what to do with his hands for some reason.

“Oh, there’s still a lot more to figure out yet.” Lorelai sighed. “But hey, step one complete. That’s something. Thank you, again, for your help. I... I just really needed a friend the other day and you were there for me. I appreciate that.”

“No problem,” Luke assured her, nodding his head.

“So, I should go. You’re working, obviously.”

“Only until six,” said Luke, wincing a moment later.

It was barely two in the afternoon, which meant he had four hours to work yet. He couldn’t pass off his comment as simple joy at impending freedom. It was going to come out seeming like he was asking to see her later, maybe suggesting she hang around all afternoon just to spend time with him. He hadn’t meant it like that, because that would be crazy. Although, actually, maybe he had meant it exactly like that, but Luke wasn’t sure he should for some reason.

“Wish I could be here then, but unfortunately not,” said Lorelai, looking genuinely disappointed, or so Luke hoped. “Pretty sure this place would be crawling with cops searching every square inch of town for me if I’m not home in double-quick time. I swear, since I broke the news it’s like being under twenty-four-hour surveillance. I only got here today because I risked the tree outside my window one more time. Guess I should really give that up for the next six months... and then I guess I’m done with that kind of thing forever.”

She was so busy muttering to herself about whatever, Lorelai didn’t notice the look that came over Luke’s face as he processed her words, and the way her hand had gone absently to her abdomen. It didn’t take much to put it all together. The way she agreed to coffee and then changed her mind to hot chocolate that first day they met. The big news she had for her folks, who would be terrified if she was out of the house too long. The way she talked about keeping physical activities to a minimum for the next few months or maybe longer. Her hand on her stomach.

“You... You’re pregnant?”

“A little louder.” Lorelai rolled her eyes. “Not sure they quite heard you all the way to Litchfield.”

Luke closed his eyes a moment, shook his head, and dutifully apologised.

“I’m sorry, I just... I hadn’t thought.”

“Why would you?” Lorelai shrugged. “It’s not your problem. Anyway, I should go. Thanks again, Luke.”

Before he had a chance to say another word, Lorelai had leaned in close, planted a kiss on his cheek, and practically run away. Luke tried to process, ran the few steps around the corner to catch up to her, but Lorelai was already on the bus heading away from him.

She was pregnant. She was only sixteen, two years younger than even his sister, Liz, and yet she was going to have a baby. That was what she was so shaken up about, and he could well understand it. Strange perhaps that it wasn’t one of the many theories Luke had conjured in his mind between that day and this as to why Lorelai was out in the rain and so distressed when he met her.

Luke was still trying to wrap his head around the concept when he got back inside the store. His dad was taking an order on the phone, scrabbling around for a piece of scrap paper it seemed. When he failed to find one, he ducked down behind the counter and Luke leaned right over to see what he was doing. He smiled, watching his father scribbling details of a screw driver and a box of nails on the end of the counter unit. That was just like him. Get the order at all costs, deal with the consequences later. Luke wanted to be just like him, the same kind of man, the same kind of father one day maybe.

Shaking his head, Luke turned back towards the door, looking in the direction the bus had taken, whisking Lorelai back to Hartford. She would be a mother in a few months’ time. Sixteen and a mom. Luke would be twenty this year and couldn’t imagine having to step up like that. It was hard enough having to give up college to come home and help run the store, to learn more about the books and the ordering so his dad had a chance for longer breaks and more down time when he was having the bad days that they both knew could become more frequent soon.

“Lucas?”

William’s tone and looks were both a little too serious when Luke paid attention then. His father’s hand on his shoulder and the concern in his eyes proved how worried he was about him, before he ever said as much.

“It’s just not like you to keep on losing focus like this,” he said worriedly. “I know what I said before, but are you working too hard?”

“No, it’s not... I love working here,” he insisted. “I’m sorry. I’m fine, honestly.”

“I do understand that you’re worried about her,” he said then, startling Luke a moment before he continued. “Liz is... she’s a free spirit. Your mother was the same, though she had more good sense when it mattered,” said William, with a sigh. “I’m sure it’ll all work out in the end.”

He walked away then to tend to another customer and Luke let out a breath he hardly knew he’d been holding. For a moment there, he actually thought his dad was talking about Lorelai. Not that he could have known the conversation they had or that she was the one on Luke’s mind. It was unlikely he paid too much mind when she came around the other day, and even less likely that he spotted her visit today.

Of course, Liz did ought to be on Luke’s mind too. His little sister and all her problems - barely passing her classes, spending all her free time with Jimmy Mariano, smoking more than cigarettes whenever she got the chance.

Luke ran a hand over his face, adjusted his hat, and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. Perhaps at nineteen he shouldn’t have as many responsibilities as he currently did, or so much on his mind, but Luke was okay with it. His father needed him, so did Liz. He doubted Lorelai would come around anymore, not now she had spilled her secret to her parents as well as Luke himself. Still, he couldn’t help but feel concern for her, or attraction to her, however crazy that made him.

Heading out back to pick up the boxes of new stock that needed bringing through to the store, Luke muttered to himself; “Because my life really needs one more complication - not!”


	3. Chapter 3

“Hey, you do remember where you live!”

Luke came out of the kitchen the moment he heard the front door, catching Liz halfway up the stairs to her room. She didn’t look thrilled at his intervention, rolling her eyes dramatically, though that may have been as much to hide her dilated pupils as anything else. If that was her intention, it didn’t work.

“Pipe down, big brother,” she told him with a sigh. “You’re beginning to sound a lot like Dad.”

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” Luke countered.

“It is when you’re still so young!” said Liz urgently, back-tracking down the stairs and facing him. “Look at you, man! You’re morphing into our father right before my eyes, and as much as I love the guy, this is not normal, Luke,” she told him, hands up at his shoulders. “You gotta live your life for you, before it’s too late.”

Luke opened his mouth to respond to that, but quickly changed his mind. There were a whole lot of reasons Liz might have had for choosing those words. Dad’s illness, Mom’s passing so long ago. Unbeknownst to Liz, it made Luke think of Lorelai too, but he wasn’t about to say so.

“Liz, if life is so important to you, could you... could maybe not...?”

“Could I maybe not what, big brother?” she asked, huffing out a sigh and blowing her bangs off her forehead. “I’m doing what I want to do whilst I’ve still got the chance.”

“You’re doing drugs. You’re doing that idiot Mariano!”

Liz’s eyes went wide at the phrasing and Luke didn’t wonder at it. He wasn’t usually so crass in the way he said things, but it was frustrating as hell to stand by and watch his little sister throw her life away. This wasn’t what he wanted for her. She deserved the best. If she was going to have a boyfriend, he should be a really nice and responsible guy, not some drop-out who lived in a flea-pit in New York, that couldn’t stay faithful from one week to the next. That said, Luke had a feeling Liz wasn’t always as constant to her man as she should be either. Then there was the smoking, the drinking, and the drugs.

“You worry too much, Luke,” she said, shaking her head. “You make it sound like I’m some kind of addict shooting up on street corners. So, I smoke a little weed now and then,” she said in a low voice, unsure apparently whether anyone was around that might hear her, like her dad for example. “I have a drink now and then.”

“You’re eighteen, Liz.” 

“And you act like you’re forty-five!” she snapped back at Luke. “I love you, big brother, but you’re not dad and you don’t know what’s best for me all of the time.”

“I know Jimmy Mariano isn’t what’s best for you.”

“Well, maybe he is and maybe he isn’t, but that’s not going to stop me from marrying him!”

Now it was Luke’s turn to look wide-eyed as shock registered on his face.

“Marry him?” he echoed. “No, you’re not-”

“Yes, I am,” Liz countered immediately. “Because... because I’m pregnant, Luke. Me and Jimmy, we’re gonna have a kid.”

Luke’s mouth was opening and closing like a landed bass. He knew it, but he had no way of stopping the motion or finding the words he so desperately needed. Liz was pregnant. His little sister, who was eighteen years old, barely responsible enough to get herself to school in the morning and stay sober at night, still acted like such a kid when the fit took her, and she was going to have a baby.

“I can’t... How did this happen?”

“Seriously? You want a diagram?” she asked, smiling too much.

“No, I don’t want a-, How could you be this irresponsible, Liz?!”

“Y’know what, Luke, maybe I am a little irresponsible, but we can’t all be saints like you, okay, big brother?!”

She ran off up the stairs before she had hardly finished yelling, her bedroom door closing with an almighty clang. The next thing Luke knew, the house was filled with ‘Journey’ being played at sonic boom type levels. There was no point in him trying to talk to Liz now. Her bedroom door would be bolted shut and she was probably crying into her pillow. The music was usually used to drown out the sound of her sobs, and Luke knew there would be no reasoning with her now until she calmed down.

Trudging back to the couch, he slumped down into the cushions and put his face in his hands. He handled it badly, Luke knew he had, but he wondered how a person was supposed to handle this kind of situation any better. His mind took a turn to Lorelai then. She was in a similar position to Liz, possibly even worse because she was two years younger, and her parents were the type to go postal about a teen pregnancy. The blue bloods were like that, he knew, and Lorelai’s parents certainly seemed the sort from what she had said. Liz only had Luke and their father to worry about, and whilst Dad was likely to be disappointed, he wouldn’t judge or be harsh with Liz. He never was before.

Luke wondered if it made him a hypocrite that he could feel so much sympathy for Lorelai and yet be so mad at Liz for doing what amounted to the same thing. With his kid sister though, it just seemed so wilful, like maybe she did this on purpose to make him mad, to defy society, to make Jimmy stay with her. Maybe it was all of the above, or none at all. Luke was sure he never would fully understand Liz’s motivations for anything she did. He was starting to think it was time to stop trying, and yet, he probably never would.

As far as Lorelai was concerned, he supposed he had no responsibility there and no reason to worry about her. The chances were good he would never see Miss Gilmore again, and even if he did, it wasn’t as if anything could come of it. A guy like him and a girl like her, they didn’t become friends, never mind more, even when the girl wasn’t pregnant by another guy already.

Luke stared unseeing at the fireplace for a while before his eyes came to focus on the framed picture above the mantle. The family portrait had always made him as sad as it made him happy. Dad looked so proud of what he had then, and Mom was so beautiful and kind. Liz was the prettiest little girl, all blue eyes and blonde curls, like some kid from a fairy story. She hadn’t exactly grown up into the sweet princess type. Then there was Luke. He stared at his younger self in the picture and shook his head. Twelve years ago, that picture was taken, when he was just a little boy, excited by everything the world had to offer him. Now, here he was, barely old enough to be classed as a man, not even twenty-one for more than a year yet, and he had so many responsibilities, so much to deal with.

“Suck it up, Danes,” he told himself, taking a deep breath and bracing his hands on his knees. “You got it better than some,” he reminded himself, getting up from the couch and heading for the kitchen.

Somebody had to cook dinner for the working man and the pregnant woman of the house. Seemed that was going to be him too.

* * *

“I don’t know what to tell you, sugar. I got no idea where she came from. I talked to Tilly, and y’know if anybody’s gonna have the scoop it’s gonna be her, but all she knew was she got off a bus at the stop by the square. No bags, no luggage, nobody to meet her.”

“Well, she’s been sat there for at least an hour now. I’m sure I don’t know what to make of it.”

“It ain’t like she’s a tourist or nothing. She’s not walking around the stores.”

“I was concerned she was some sort of runaway or living on the streets, but she’s so well-presented, I can’t believe it. Such a pretty girl, like a young Audrey Hepburn.”

“I woulda said more Natalie Wood myself, but she definitely doesn’t have a homeless vibe.”

Luke could hear the back-and-forth between Babette and Miss Patty from behind the shelving where he was stacking paint cans, and found it impossible not to smile. They really could not help themselves. If anything was going on in town, they had to know about it and discuss it down to the finest detail. He had no clue who they were talking about today, but it was kind of nice to listen to the mindless babbling and find something in it to smile about. Luke didn’t think he had felt anything but worry and concern for two days straight, ever since Liz broke the news about being pregnant.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, ladies,” said his father then. “How can I help you today?”

“Oh, nothing for me, darling,” Miss Patty told him.

“I just called her in to talk about the girl in the square,” Babette explained. “You seen her out there? Real pretty girl. She ain’t waitin’ on young Luke, is she?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” said William. “Luke?”

“Yeah, Dad,” he said, appearing from behind the shelves.

“The ladies here were wondering if the young lady in the square is a friend of yours.”

“Aaw, geez,” said Luke, shifting awkwardly at the suggestion, and yet when he looked outside, he realised fast that maybe Miss Patty and Babette weren’t so far off the mark. “Lorelai?” he wondered aloud, trying to focus on the figure sat on the farthest bench.

“Lorelai? Well, that sure is a fancy name for a fancy gal,” said Babette with a look that Luke didn’t see since he was still too busy staring out the window yet.

“Lucas?” his father prompted, getting his attention in a moment.

“Er, yeah. Yes, I know her. Can I take a break now, please?”

“Of course, son. We’re not busy. If the paint is all stacked?”

“It’s done.” Luke nodded, sparing Miss Patty and Babette a brief smile as he squeezed by them and ran out of the store.

He missed the significant look they shared, assuming, rightly or wrongly, that Luke was running towards a girl that was either his girlfriend or soon to have that title.

“Hey,” he said as he reached the bench, breathing just a little unevenly after practically sprinting to her side.

“Hi,” said Lorelai, squinting up at him against the sun’s bright rays. “I was kind of wondering if you’d see me out here and come over eventually.”

She was smiling when she said it and yet her eyes betrayed her. If Luke didn’t know any better he would say she was on the verge of tears. Quickly, he sat down beside her, turning his back towards the hardware store, highly aware of all prying eyes.

“The neighbours here can be a little nosy. They were wondering who you were.”

“What did you tell them?” asked Lorelai with a wary look.

“Nothing. I told them nothing,” he assured her. “I mean, I said your name, I think, but that’s all.”

Lorelai nodded her head. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t... I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything, it’s just... it’s been a rough week.”

“Tell me about it.” Luke sighed, running a hand over his face. Off Lorelai’s confused expression, he felt the need to elaborate. “I, er... My sister, Liz, she told me a couple of days ago that she... well, she’s in the same situation as you,” he said, gesturing vaguely towards Lorelai’s stomach.

“Wow,” she said, realising what he meant. “I’m guessing that went down about as well as Joe Strummer at a DAR meeting.”

“I’m not sure what that means,” Luke admitted with an amused smile that he couldn’t help, “but so far I’m the only one who knows. Well, except maybe Jimmy, he’s the father. Our father has no idea, and God knows how he’ll take it when he does find out.”

He leaned back on the bench beside her, knowing he looked as tired and frustrated as he felt. Lorelai at least seemed sympathetic which he wasn’t entirely expecting in her situation.

“Trust me, he can’t take it any worse than my folks did,” she said, fingers lacing together and unlacing again in her lap, over and over again. “The latest theories on fixing the situation are to have me and Christopher get married, which is so not going to happen, or...”

“Or?” Luke prompted when she went quiet.

“Adoption,” said Lorelai eventually. “Which I don’t really want either, if I’m honest. I mean, I know some really great people adopt kids, and it all works out, and I know it’d mean I get my life back after another six months, but I don’t... I don’t think I can do that. I don’t think I could live knowing I had a kid out there that never knew who I was, you know?”

Luke nodded his head, not knowing what on earth he was supposed to say to her. He knew what all the options were for pregnant women. Anybody with any common sense knew. Up to a point, there was the chance to make the pregnancy go away. After that, there was adoption or raising the baby yourself. Liz seemed to have made her choices very quickly. She was going to marry Jimmy, move in with him in New York, and raise their child together there. What she didn’t seem to have thought through was where the money to support them all was going to come from, or how she was going to cope without the constant support of her family. It seemed Lorelai was at least okay for money, and her parents weren’t poised to throw her out, unless...

“You didn’t...? I mean, you’re not here because you can’t go home, right? Your parents, they didn’t kick you out.”

“No, no. They would never.” Lorelai shook her head. “Richard and Emily are many things, but they’re not like that. If nothing else, they’d never live down the shame of giving up on me.” She rolled her eyes. “The shame of my being a pregnant drop-out will be tough, but they seem to think it can be fixed, preferably by marriage. God, they so don’t get it!”

With her hands over her face now, Luke really wasn’t sure if she was crying or not. He hoped not, but it was impossible to tell. He vaguely wondered if he should put his arm around her, give her a comforting hug. That should be helpful whether she was literally crying or not, and yet, he wasn’t so sure he should be laying hands on somebody else’s pregnant girlfriend, even if it would be an innocent act in his mind.

“What does your boyfriend say? Er, Christopher?” he tried.

At that, Lorelai actually laughed.

“He’s such a dork when it comes to the grown-ups.” She sighed, rolling her eyes one more time. “I’ll give him points for saying he would marry me if I wanted him to, but honestly? It’s not what I want. I love the guy, I really do, but not like that. Not long haul, marriage and raising a baby love, and especially not now. He could still have a life, you know? Even if I can’t, he could. What kind of idiot guy wants to throw away his life, his education, his career, for some girl and a baby?”

“A guy in love, I guess.”

The way Lorelai scoffed at that remark made Luke stare at her agog. He couldn’t fathom why it was so strange for her to think her boyfriend loved her. Shouldn’t people who had sex and made babies love each other? Knowing how simple and old-fashioned that would probably seem to her, Luke decided not to say it, but he couldn’t help thinking it.

“What happened to my life?!” Lorelai declared then, hands momentarily over her face again. “God, all I want is a cup of coffee and I can’t even have that unless it’s disgusting decaff!”

“I’m sorry” said Luke automatically.

“Hey, you’re not the one who knocked me up,” Lorelai pointed out, noticing with no lack of amusement that Luke blushed terribly at the remark. “But you have probably been the best friend I could ask for since it happened. I guess what they say is true, that it’s easier to talk to strangers sometimes.”

“If we’re best friends, we can’t be strangers too,” said Luke, smirking annoyingly.

Lorelai grinned. She kind of loved that. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out so her bangs lifted with the force.

“Any chance you want to come live in my closet, dispense advice when I get in a jam, make jokes when the world gets me down?”

“Sorry, I already have a job,” he said, gesturing back towards the hardware store. “Besides, I have Liz to deal with.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.”

“Thanks. Think I might need it.”

A thought seemed to occur to Lorelai all of a sudden and she made a grab at Luke’s hand, pulling his arm across her lap.

“What are you doing?”

“If you stop squirming around like a worm on a hook, I’m trying to write here!”

Luke watched Lorelai scribble on his arm with a ballpoint pen from her pocket, leaving a trail of purple numbers up from his wrist.

“That’s my number,” she explained. “The line to my room, so don’t freak out, you won’t have to speak to Adolf and Eva. My parents,” she clarified.

“You want me to call you?” asked Luke, staring at the digits etched on his skin.

“If you want to, maybe. I mean, you have your sister’s pregnancy to deal with, I have mine. Seems like neither of us has anyone else to talk to about this stuff, so...”

“So,” Luke echoed. “I guess I could call you.”

“Cool.” Lorelai grinned. “Well, I should probably jump on this bus if I want to be home before panic sets in,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Use the Force, Luke,” she advised him, gesturing to his arm, “or at the very least, the number.”

The next moment she was gone, and not for the first time, Luke was left staring after her, smiling like an idiot, and kind of wondering what the hell just happened here.


	4. Chapter 4

“Hello?”

“Lorelai?”

“This is she.”

“It’s Luke Danes, from Stars Hollow.”

“Well, hey, Luke Danes from Stars Hollow. How’re things?”

“They’re good. Well, actually, that’s a lie. Dad found out about Liz and the baby.”

“Wow. Did he freak?”

“Dad doesn’t really do ‘freaking’ as such. He was surprised, and a little hurt I think, but surprisingly calm. I think he’s feeling like life is too short to make a big deal out of it after everything.”

“Everything? What’s everything?”

“Oh. Well, he... Er, he got sick for a while. He’s okay now, but... Well, it was a game changer.”

“Well, I’m glad he’s doing better now.”

“Thanks. How are you doing?”

“I’m okay. Still pregnant, obviously.”

“Obviously. Anyway, I should probably go.”

“Really?”

“I have to work.”

“Luke, you called me all of two minutes ago.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I just... I don’t know, I guess I just needed to hear your voice. Is that lame?”

“Are you kidding? That’s probably the nicest thing anybody said to me for a week, so thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And Luke?”

“Yeah.”

“Any time you want to talk, you can call. For two minutes, for a half hour, whatever.”

“I’d say you could call me anytime too but I don’t have my own line like you do, so... I mean, I guess you could call the house sometimes. I’m usually the only one here and awake between six and eight in the morning. Also, three and six in the afternoon, when I’m not working.”

“Six and eight, three and six. Duly noted. You want to actually give me the number?”

“Oh, sure. 860-555-0843.”

“Got it, and you know, Luke, for what it’s worth, it’s good to hear your voice too. Really good, actually.”

“Take care of yourself, Lorelai.”

“You too.”

* * *

“Hello?”

“Lorelai?”

“No, it certainly is not. Who is this?”

“...”

“Young man, I demand to know who you are and why you are calling my daughter.”

“Sorry, wrong number.”

* * *

“Hello?”

“So, you called and talked to my mother.”

“Aaw, geez! How’d she know it was me?”

“She didn’t, but when she said some strange boy called my line and then hung up on her, I kind of figured. There are only two guys that have this number, and she knows Christopher.”

“I guess she would.”

“I can’t believe you got Gilmored by the Emily Monster!”

“You don’t have to sound so happy about it. Why didn’t you answer your own phone anyway?”

“Hello, school! I know you left a while back, old man, but some of us still have to attend, at least until the end of the year.”

“Old man?”

“What are you? Twenty?”

“Almost.”

“See! Old man.”

“Says the girl having a baby!”

“...”

“Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I mean, what did you say that’s not true, right? I am having a baby. So, how’s your sister doing?”

“She’s fine. She’s... Liz. She’s either in New York with Jimmy or he’s here and... I don’t know. I want to help her, I’m just not so sure she wants my help anymore.”

“Sometimes I wish I had a big brother, or a sister, or anybody other than my parents, honestly.”

“You know you have me.”

“Really?”

“Well, when I say you have me, I mean, I don’t... Just, if you need somebody to talk to.”

“I know, and thanks, again.”

“And hey, you will have somebody soon. A son or a daughter.”

“Yeah, it’s taking a while for that crazy concept to sink it, but the kids at school just love to remind me.”

“But you only have a few more weeks now before you’re done, right?”

“Four to the end of the year. To the end of my school career, I guess. Funny, I never figured on being a high school drop-out.”

“I never thought I’d be a college drop-out, but life happens.”

“I like that. Life happens. That’s some philosophy you got there, Danes.”

“You’re welcome it borrow it, Gilmore.”

“Ugh, Mom’s yelling. I should go.”

“Okay.”

“And remember, if you want to call me, after four, at least for the next few weeks.”

“I’ll remember. Take care of yourself, Lorelai.”

“Bye, Luke.”

* * *

“Hello?”

“She’s moving to New York.”

“Luke?”

“Sorry. I’m sorry. Hi, Lorelai.”

“Hey. Who’s moving to New York?”

“My sister, Liz. She says the day she graduates, she’s moving in with Jimmy, in New York.”

“Wow. I would kill to live in New York.”

“Are you kidding? That place is dangerous! And that scummy apartment that Mariano lives in is no place to raise a kid. She’s... she’s just not thinking straight.”

“Or maybe she’s thinking more clearly than ever. A teenage pregnancy’ll do that for you. If she loves the guy, is it so wrong? Is he so bad?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know. I’m hoping we can talk her out of it anyway. God, this is insane. I don’t know when my life became this.”

“What? Full of pregnant teen girls?”

“It’s not funny.”

“I’m trying not to laugh, but it’s tough.”

“For what it’s worth, I don’t regret meeting you. Never.”

“Thanks, and I’m sorry for making fun. I know you worry about Liz.”

“I do, but that’s not your problem.”

“Hey, su problemas y mi problemas, or something like that. Basically, I’m here for you, because you’re there for me, alright?”

“Alright. So, how are things with you?”

“They’re so-so. I’ve had worse days. Of course, I’ve also had better. The puking has stopped.”

“Always a bonus.”

“I think so. Hey, how about we talk about something that’s not baby-related, or sister-related, or in any way family-related.”

“Sounds good.”

“You any good with math?”

“You want homework help?”

“Couldn’t hurt.”

“What do you have...?”

* * *

“Oh, hi. Er, is Luke there?”

“Sure. Luke! There’s a girl on the phone for you!”

“Lorelai?”

“Hey. I’m guessing I just kind of met your sister.”

“Kind of.”

“Are you going to get the third degree later?”

“Nah. Liz’ll tease me a little but she’ll forget all about it in a day or two. She thinks every girl I talk to is my girlfriend or something. She’s crazy.”

“Sure, sure. I get it. So, you guys are getting along now?”

“For now. It’s always up and down with Lizzie.”

“Yeah, I get that. I’m sorry, I’m not even sure why I called, I just needed a friendly voice today, you know?”

“It’s fine.”

“How was work today?”

“It was normal, average. We had a run on spackle today.”

“Wow. Exciting times.”

“You asked about work. This is my work, boring and mind-numbing as it might be to you.”

“I could use some boring in my life right now. Mind-numb away, my friend. Tell me everything.”

“You’re serious?”

“As a teen pregnancy scandal.”

“Lorelai...”

“Tell me about the store, about the run on spackle, please?”

“Okay. So, the store got real busy around three...”

* * *

“I told you, Chris, I’m doing this my way!”

“Uh, it’s not Christopher.”

“Luke? Hey.”

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“Does nothing usually make you cry like that?”

“Maybe. It’s nothing, really. Christopher is being kind of a tool.”

“What did he do?”

“He really, really wants to marry me.”

“Wow. That sounds... terrible?”

“Yeah, I know. Most girls would be thrilled.”

“You’re not most girls, I learnt that pretty fast.”

“Pretty sure you’re not most guys either. Why’d you call?”

“No reason really. I haven’t heard from you for a while, I just... I don’t know, I wanted to check you were doing okay.”

“...”

“So, are you doing okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just thinking about next week. Last day of school tomorrow, and then I’m here, twenty-four seven, nowhere to go, no escape.”

“You know you can always come here. I mean, if your parents will let you out of the house. Stars Hollow isn’t the most exciting place, and I’m working a lot, but I... I’d make time for you, if you want”

“...”

“Lorelai?”

“Thanks, Luke. I might take you up on that.”

“Good luck for your last day tomorrow.”

“Thanks. Hey, Luke?”

“Yeah.”

“I... I’ll see you soon.”

“I hope so. Bye, Lorelai.”

“Bye, Luke.”


	5. Chapter 5

When they realised she was gone, they were going to lose it big time. Lorelai had pretty much been made to promise not to leave the house without telling someone, though it was generally implied that any request to go outside of the house would be denied. She was five months pregnant now, showing in a more obvious way, though the baggy sweater she was wearing today hid it pretty well. It was strange, but when she decided to sneak off to Stars Hollow, she felt the need to make herself look less pregnant if she could. Luke had a great way of making her forget her problems somehow, or at least making her feel better about them. Of course, last time he saw her she wasn’t really obviously carrying a child around inside. Now it would be impossible not to notice, unless she made an effort to hide it.

“I’m sorry, little bubba,” she told her stomach in a whisper, as the bus neared the little town. “I’m honestly not ashamed, I just... This is easier, for now.”

The bus pulled up at the stop and Lorelai disembarked, walking over to the hardware store. She stopped at the door and reacted with surprise when she realised the door had the ‘Closed’ sign on it. Glancing in either direction down the street, all the other stores appeared to be open, and there was no event taking place in the town square or anything, no reason for this one place to be all closed up in the middle of the afternoon.

Fear gripped Lorelai’s heart when a thought suddenly came to mind. A phone conversation with Luke a couple of weeks ago or more. He had mentioned that his father got sick a while back, that it was a game-changer, that was the words he’d used. Lorelai had assumed either cancer or a heart attack, certainly something very serious. Now, she wondered if the worst had happened. If whatever was wrong with Mr Danes had returned.

“Oh my God!” she gasped, immediately wanting to run to Luke’s house before realising she had no idea where that was.

Maybe she could find a phone booth and call his house, but then, if his father was sick they could be at the hospital. She seriously did not know what to do, but Lorelai knew she had to do something. All those times that Luke had been there for her since they met a few weeks ago. She had to repay the favour if she could. She really wanted to.

“Oh, honey, they won’t be opening today,” said a voice then. “I’m afraid we don’t have another hardware store in Stars Hollow, but you could try Adamson’s in Litchfield if there’s something you really need.”

“I don’t need anything, thanks,” said Lorelai, shaking her head. “I just came to see Luke. Is he okay? Is his father okay?” she asked quickly. “I know he was sick before, I was worried.”

“Oh, sweetheart, no. William is fine. Well, physically fine anyway,” said the kind lady, her hand at Lorelai’s shoulder. “Between you and me, it’s Liz that’s giving him all the trouble, but then that girl has always been a wild one.”

“Liz, right,” said Lorelai, nodding once.

Luke’s sister who was pregnant, there was obviously some drama with her. Their father already knew she was pregnant, and Lorelai couldn’t imagine what would upset Luke and his father more than that. It couldn’t be a tragedy like losing the baby, or this seemingly kind but gossipy lady wouldn’t be talking about Liz in the terms she had.

“I mean, I don’t want to speak out of turn, but she really needed a firmer hand after her mother passed. We all tried to help. You know Liz used to be the most beautiful dancer and a pleasure to have in my class, but then the teen years came and... Well, I know William does his best, Luke too, but ever since she met that Jimmy Mariano, oh, my goodness! Certainly, none of us expected her to run away like this. It’s really hit them hard.”

Lorelai didn’t know what to say or what to think as the lady she now realised must be the Miss Patty of ‘Miss Patty’s School of Dance’ continued to give all of her own thoughts and opinions on the downfall of Elizabeth Danes. It made Lorelai even more glad that she was hiding her own pregnancy today. She could use not being judged like this. Not that Miss Patty sounded judgemental exactly. Mostly just sad that everything had gone so wrong for the Danes family.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said, the first moment she could get a word in sideways. “I just really need to see Luke, make sure he’s okay, but I’ve never been to his house.”

“Oh, well...” she began, looking uncertain, then a light seemed to dawn in her eyes. “You’re Lorelai!” she gasped, smiling widely. “I should’ve recognised you right away. You’re Luke’s girlfriend.”

“I’m really not... Well, we’re just friends,” she explained awkwardly. “But I really would like to see him. Could you point me in the right direction, please?”

Now Miss Patty realised who she was, she seemed to have no problem in giving Lorelai the information she needed. Apparently, it wasn’t far to the Danes house, and Lorelai walked at double speed, getting there even faster than expected. When she reached the front door, she stopped, raising her fist to knock and immediately changing her mind. She could hear yelling, a male voice, which would be Luke or his father. It was tough to tell for sure at this range. Maybe she shouldn’t intrude, and yet, Lorelai had to make sure Luke was okay, try to help him out if she could. He had been so good to her lately.

Knocking on the door just as hard as she could, sure she wouldn’t be heard if she did anything else, Lorelai stepped back on the porch and waited. When the door eventually opened it was an older man who greeted her. He looked so hopeful at first glance and then so sad.

“Hi,” said Lorelai. “Um, is Luke here?” she asked, as if she really needed to.

She could tell now that the yelling voice was definitely her friend, presumably talking loudly on the phone. Before William had a chance to say a word, Luke appeared in view, hanging up from his call with an angry and far from genuine, ‘Yeah, thanks a lot!’

“Luke, someone to see you,” said his father.

“Lorelai,” he gasped at the sight of her. “What are you doing here?”

“I just dropped by the store and... Well, Miss Patty told me what happened. I wanted to check you were okay.”

Luke looked from Lorelai to his father and back, unsure what to say or do. It was almost a relief when his father gave him some direction.

“Well, don’t just stand there, Lucas. Invite the girl inside,” he urged him, physically moving his son out of the way. “Please, come in and sit down. Lorelai, was it?”

“Yes, that is me,” she said awkwardly, squeezing between the Danes men. “Um, I don’t want to intrude or anything, I was just passing, and then...”

“And then you heard the gossip in town, which trust me, around here is unavoidable,” said Luke, sitting down at one end of the couch as Lorelai took the other end.

William disappeared into the next room and Lorelai wasn’t sorry to see him go. She wasn’t sure how to be in front of Luke’s dad. Sometimes, it was tough enough to know how to be with Luke himself, especially as her pregnancy went on and she seemed to grow bigger every day.

“I’m sorry, about Liz,” she said, hugging herself. “I know you said she was talking about running away but it seemed like you talked her out of it.”

“She let us believe that we had,” said Luke, shaking his head and laughing humourlessly. “She’s good at that. Liz’ll fight for so long, then when she realises she’s getting nowhere, she’ll pretend to accept what she’s being told, but she hasn’t. I saw this coming. I knew she didn’t get it. I knew. Why can’t she just listen?!”

Lorelai didn’t know what to say. As much as she liked Luke, she couldn’t exactly say that she didn’t understand why Liz rebelled. She was a little bit that way herself, always assuming she knew better than those who tried to guide her. Liz and Lorelai had a lot in common, including unborn children growing inside of them, and a want to run away from their families. The difference was, Liz had gone and done it, where Lorelai hadn’t... yet.

“If I had a family like yours, I think I’d want to stick around,” she said aloud, staring down at her shoes. “With my family, not so much, but that’s life, I guess.”

Luke watched her shifting awkwardly on the end of the couch, looking like she’d rather be anywhere but here. It meant a lot to him that she came over. Out of everyone who came knocking on the Danes’ front door today, he truly believed Lorelai was here because she cared and not just to get the juicy details of the latest Stars Hollow scandal.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said, reaching to lay a hand on her arm.

Lorelai looked up, met his eyes, and smiled.

“Me too,” she agreed. “Not that I can really help you with this. I’m guessing Liz ran with Jimmy but they didn’t go to his place?”

“No, they’re smarter than that, unbelievably.” Luke rolled his eyes. “Liz left a letter when she cut out last night. Here,” he said, reaching for the folded paper on the coffee table and handing it to Lorelai.

She started to read and daren’t say a word. It struck a chord with her, the need to live her life how she wanted to, without constraint, without people telling her how everything had to be. The difference was, of course, that Luke and William probably really did have Liz’s best interests at heart. Lorelai had trouble believing that of her own parents. Still, she was worried about saying the wrong thing and hurting Luke, and of losing the only real friend she had lately. Better to bite her tongue for once, she figured.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” said Luke, running a hand over his face. “It’s like, anything I try to do to help, Liz just takes it the wrong way. She thinks I want to control her or something, she thinks me and Dad want to lock her up and throw away the key, but it’s not like that. I just want to know she’s safe, you know?”

“I know.” Lorelai nodded, watching the pain and frustration cross his face.

“Sometimes she just doesn’t think,” he said, shaking his head, leaning closer to Lorelai as he lowered his voice a little. “I can’t imagine what this is doing to Dad. The stress and everything, I just... If he got sick again. I don’t wanna say I couldn’t forgive her if that happened, but...”

His voice trailed away and Lorelai felt certain she was going to cry any second. Shifting closer to him on the couch, she reached her arms around Luke and hugged him tight. She didn’t know what to say to make this better, she wondered if anything ever could. Maybe if she could tell him where Liz had gone, the secret location she and Jimmy had run off to with plans to get married and have their baby away from home. It seemed nobody but the two of them were supposed to know that. Poor Luke.

He sighed as he hugged Lorelai back, loving the feeling of her in his arms just a little too much given the circumstances. After all, Luke was supposed to be worried about Liz, and Lorelai was pregnant with another man’s child. Now really wasn’t the time to be getting comfortable and thinking any kind of happy thoughts. There was no room for those in this situation.

“I’m not sorry you’re here right now,” he admitted anyway as they parted.

“Me either,” said Lorelai, painting on her best smile. “I was just thinking we hadn’t talked in a while so I came over. Obviously, I had no idea you were having a Liz crisis.”

Luke watched her face and wondered if she was telling the whole truth. He didn’t doubt she had no idea that things here had gotten so crazy. There was no way for her to have that information unless he gave it to her, which he hadn’t. What had him confused was why she was here. Sure, she could’ve just dropped by, and Luke would really like to believe that was all it was. In Lorelai’s situation, he was almost certain there was more to her visit than a simple friendly call.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Sure, yeah,” she replied like a reflex, too quickly and sharply for it to really be true. “I, er... You know, I should probably go, actually,” she said then, getting up fast. “You have way too much going on to need me hanging around.”

“I already told you, I’m glad you came over,” Luke reminded her, standing up too.

“Yeah, but you’re nice, you say stuff like that,” said Lorelai, smiling in a way that Luke couldn’t quite believe was real. “Um, I’ll just go and... and we’ll talk soon. Let me know when you find Liz, and I hope she’s okay and everything. Okay, bye!”

Luke opened his mouth to reply, but Lorelai was already practically running out of the door. He would’ve followed her but for the phone suddenly ringing in the hall. It could be Liz, or someone who knew where she was, maybe. Luke couldn’t go after Lorelai, no matter how much he was tempted. Liz had to be his priority. That didn’t mean he was going to be able to put Lorelai out of his head right now, or for a long time yet, no doubt.


	6. Chapter 6

“At least we know she’s safe,” said William, running a hand over his face. “I’d rather Lizzie was here with us, but she’s okay. That’s the main thing.”

Luke wanted to argue that point. He couldn’t imagine how safe Liz really was holed up in some rotten apartment in New York or similar. There was no way Mariano could afford a decent place, especially not in the city like that. It wasn’t good for Liz or the baby, it wasn’t anything like safe, Luke was certain, but he couldn’t fight with his dad about it, it wouldn’t do any good.

They had spent the first day trying to track Liz down, and two days after worrying almost constantly whilst trying to get back to work and normal daily events. Eventually, late into the evening on this third day, she had deigned to phone from a call box on some loud New York street, declaring she was fine and that nobody should worry about her. It set William’s mind at rest, and Luke wasn’t about to stir his dad up into a stressed-out state again. His health was way too important to jeopardise it further.

“Have you spoken to your friend since all this happened?” asked William then. “The pretty girl. Lorelai,” he said, snapping his fingers as the name finally came to him.

“Oh, um, no,” Luke admitted, shaking his head. “She, er... She has problems of her own, she doesn’t need to hear about mine.”

“She certainly seemed to care what was happening here the other day. She’s not from Stars Hollow, is she?”

“No, sir. She’s from Hartford. We met by accident and... I don’t know, I guess we got to talking and now we’re kind of friends.”

William smiled but didn’t say a word. He knew the signs when it came to his son more than anyone. Liz tended to be a law unto herself, but Lucas had always been such a good boy. Certainly, his father could never imagine him causing any girl harm, playing with her affections and the like. He had his mother’s good heart, and was just too decent to go messing around. William also knew how much his son liked this Lorelai. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have looked so nervous and adjusted his baseball cap exactly five times in the time it took for him to speak only a handful of words about her.

“Well, after everything that’s happened, I’m not at all sorry to see the back of this past week,” he said then. “Think I’ll turn in. Make sure you lock up and turn off all the switches when you’re done down here, Lucas,” he advised his son.

“Yes, sir,” Luke intoned, watching his father ascend the stairs.

He really didn’t have anything to do or anywhere to go this evening. Guys his age usually had dates on Friday or Saturday nights, but not Luke Danes. He worked so much, and was always busy with that, or taking care of his father and sister. With Liz gone, he had a little less worrying to do in some ways. He didn’t have to wonder what time she was coming home or what state she would be in when she finally did. Of course, he now had the constant, niggling doubt that she would be okay, out there in the big city with Jimmy Mariano and a baby on the way.

Eyes straying to the phone, Luke thought of the other young woman he knew who was expecting a baby in the Fall. Lorelai’s child would be born no more than a month after Luke’s own niece or nephew. That was too bizarre to contemplate and should certainly keep him from wanting to get any closer to the pretty, rich girl from Hartford. Unfortunately, where Lorelai was concerned, Luke felt as if his good sense was all too easily fading away.

Peering up the stairs, Luke listened hard, establishing quickly that his father was now in his room with the door closed, quite possibly half asleep already. Sure of that, Luke grabbed the phone from the hall table and pulled it into the living room. Sitting down on the couch, he dialled Lorelai’s line from memory and waited whilst it rang and rang.

Maybe it was a little late to be calling, but by the time Luke realised it, he also realised it was a little too late to care.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Lorelai. It’s Luke.”

“Hey,” she replied, at least sounding pleased to hear from him. “How’s things with you? You found Liz, right?”

“Not exactly, but she did call, a couple of hours ago, in fact,” he explained. “Apparently, she and Jimmy are in New York, they’re getting married, and they’re not coming back, at least not for now.”

“Oh, wow,” said Lorelai. “Well, I guess that’s what you expected.”

“It is.” Luke sighed. “It’s not what I wanted though.”

“Can’t always get what you want.”

“Ain’t that the truth?”

Silence reigned for almost too long. Luke started to think he should apologise for calling so late and get off the line already, but somehow, he just couldn’t bear too. Just hearing Lorelai’s voice felt good, improved his mood and lightened his heart. To think just a few minutes ago he had been denying to his father that he and Lorelai were anything more than the vaguest of friends. He hadn’t meant to lie, and yet.

“So, are you doing okay?” he asked eventually.

“Sure, I’m fine,” she told him, before reconsidering. “Well, not fine-fine. Still sixteen and pregnant so, you know? Not fine, but fine.”

Luke laughed, he couldn’t help it. “You have this amazing way with words.”

“Tell me about it,” said Lorelai, with a smile he could just hear. “At dinner, I made this killer joke about asparagus. It was a play on words type of thing and you kinda had to be there, but we’re talking my A material here. Not only did I not get a laugh, Emily sent me to my room without dessert.”

“Doesn’t she know you’re eating for two?” said Luke, only half-joking, and wishing he hadn’t bothered at all when he heard Lorelai sigh heavily.

“She knows. That’s most of the problem.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. You’re not the one who got me into this state, and honestly? I’m not even blaming Christopher. I was there too, you know? Why does the guy always get the blame?”

“I have no idea,” said Luke, frowning as he realised that he really didn’t.

The fact was, he had been mad at Liz for allowing herself to get pregnant, but most of his wrath would have been wrought on Mariano given half the chance. Maybe the guy did always get the blame, but that probably wasn’t fair, not unless the girl was forced into the situation, of course. That wasn’t true of Liz, Luke was sure on that, and apparently, not of Lorelai either.

“You know I thought things would be easier when he went away for the summer,” she said, still speaking of her boyfriend, Luke soon realised. “Between my parents pushing me at him and his parents trying to keep him away from me, I was so over all the politics of the whole thing, but now he’s not around and... Christopher is kind of The Cowardly Lion when it comes to standing up to the parentals, but he’s not all bad. He was company at least, one person I was actually allowed to see. Mom’s not even afraid of letting us be alone in my room together anymore, because hey, can’t get into any more trouble, can I?”

“I guess not,” said Luke sadly.

He really didn’t want to hear about Christopher, however dumb that sounded. After all, the guy was Lorelai’s boyfriend and the father of her child. Actually, Luke was a little sketchy on whether or not the two were still technically a couple. After all, Lorelai had said she wouldn’t marry Chris even when he asked and her parents tried to insist on it.

“I’m really glad you called,” she said then, “and not just because I don’t have anyone else to talk to, though I admit, that was a part of it.”

“I can live with that.”

“Cool. I have news I kind of wanted to share with you the other day, but then when I came over and Liz was doing her best Runaway Sue act, it didn’t feel like the best time.”

“I thought there was something on your mind,” Luke noted, recalling it now so clearly. “What’s the news?”

“I found out about the baby. You know, whether I’m having a boy or a girl.”

“Huh. What is it?”

“A little girl”, Lorelai told him, smiling again, he was sure of it. “Sometime around October 1st, I’m gonna have a daughter, Luke.”

“Congratulations,” he said like a reflex, sure right after that it was the wrong thing.

It was what people said when they found out people were having a baby, but probably didn’t need repeating when the sex of the child was announced. Maybe, in some circumstances, especially if you knew a person or a couple wanted a particular gender. Luke felt like an ass and scrambled to cover for his embarrassing display.

“Er, what I mean is, didn’t you want a girl? Because I figured you did, which is why I said congratulations.”

He put a hand to his face then, feeling like a complete idiot. It was such a relief to hear Lorelai laugh in his ear, not at him, but just out of joy, or so Luke chose to believe.

“You know, I didn’t think I cared at all. At first, the shock of the whole situation was just... I don’t know, I hadn’t even got as far as wondering whether it was a boy or a girl, then when I did, I figured either way I’d love the kid, but I don’t know. The doctor said I was having a girl and... and it made me so happy. I guess that’s what I wanted all along.”

“I guess so,” Luke agreed, smiling for her too.

He was just happy that she was happy, truth be told, though discussing the baby so literally, both her gender and her due date, just brought home to Luke what a complete idiot he was being in this situation. Befriending a pregnant girl was one thing, but having the feelings he was getting for Lorelai, it was not going to do anybody any good, least of all Luke himself.

“Well, I should go. It’s late, you’re probably tired.”

“Maybe a little,” Lorelai admitted, immediately yawning. “Wow, that was my best timing ever.”

“Goodnight, Lorelai. I’ll talk to you again soon.”

“You’d better, Luke Danes,” she told him definitely. “As weird as it might sound, I’ve missed hearing from you lately.”

“That’s not so weird,” he admitted softly. “Goodnight, Lorelai,” he tried again.

“Goodnight, Luke,” she replied this time, before they both hung up.

Luke sat on the couch for a long time afterwards, just staring at the phone. He was an idiot, a really big one if he got himself involved with a girl of sixteen that was carrying another man’s child. There was no sense to it, not a scrap, and the last thing the Danes family needed right now was any more drama. Unfortunately, Lorelai was a habit that he didn’t know how to give up. She was one he didn’t want to try to give up. Luke had a feeling he was just making his own life way more complicated than it needed to be if he kept on calling Lorelai and encouraging her to visit Stars Hollow, and yet, crazy or not, that was just exactly what he intended to do.


	7. Chapter 7

She just couldn’t handle it anymore. Lorelai knew that telling her parents she was pregnant at sixteen was never going to go well. They exploded at first, and then started pressuring her into marrying Christopher, which was never going to happen. Now, things were calmer in a lot of ways, but there wasn’t a single moment that Lorelai didn’t feel like she was being watched, scrutinised, judged. She ought to be well used to those feelings, because honestly, she had experienced them her whole life under her parents’ gaze. This was different though. This was way too intense, never letting up, not for a second. Lorelai was starting to feel she might have more freedom, more privacy, just a better time, if she was in jail. Maybe that was stretching things, but Lorelai did know she just couldn’t deal with this situation anymore, and she sure as hell didn’t want any baby of hers born into such a mess.

There really wasn’t anywhere she could go. The only person she would consider running to was Chris, but in the circumstances, there was no way. For one thing, he was on vacation with his family, and even if he was home, Lorelai wasn’t so sure Straub and Francine would be willing to take her in. If they did, she was certain she wouldn’t be living any better than under the Gilmores’ watchful eye.

“There is one other place,” said Lorelai to her unborn baby girl. “What do you say, kid?”

Hefting her bag higher on her shoulder, Lorelai made sure the help were paying her no mind and slipped out of the front door. Down to the bus stop, she was fairly certain she made it without anybody noticing, and in her dark coat with her two large hold-alls, she didn’t exactly look like herself. More like some bag lady with a watermelon shoved up her top.

With almost four months of pregnancy still to go, Lorelai was kind of amazed by how big she seemed to have gotten lately. She wondered if she would be able to walk at all by the time she got to full term.

“Maybe you’ll be early,” she said to her bump, “or maybe the doctor can’t count. Who knows?”

The bus pulled up at the stop then, and some kind stranger helped Lorelai on with her bags.

“Where to, Miss?” asked the driver as she rifled in her pocket for cash.

“Stars Hollow please, one way,” she said with a smile.

* * *

“Thank you, Mrs Cassini. I’ll send along your best regards next time I talk to her,” said William, handing over change to his customer.

As the women finally left the store, Luke let out a sigh.

“Like they really care about Liz,” he grumbled. “They just want the latest gossip.”

“Lucas.” His name came out of his father’s mouth like a warning. “You know our neighbours care about us. That’s the kind of town Stars Hollow is.”

“Yes, sir,” said Luke, nodding his head. “I’m sorry, I just... I don’t know, everything is just messed up lately. With Liz being gone, and... Lorelai.”

William opened his mouth to ask what the problem was with Lorelai when he suddenly realised that maybe it was not her name that his son had intended to say. Following his gaze out of the window, he spotted the young lady in question, struggling from the bus stop with two or three heavy bags hanging off her.

“Well, don’t just stand there, Lucas. Go and help the poor girl.” his father advised.

Luke didn’t need telling twice, shoving the broom to one side, and literally running out into the square to assist Lorelai with her heavy load. Well, part of it anyway. There was one distinct weight she was carrying that nobody could take from her. She really had gotten bigger since he last saw her and Luke had to make a concerted effort not to stare.

“Hey,” Lorelai greeted him, glad to hand him the bags when he offered. “Wow, I really overestimated my ability to carry, and to move fast,” she said, breathing a little too quickly it seemed.

“Are you okay?” asked Luke, a bag on each shoulder now but feeling no real weight to them at all. “You don’t look so good.”

“You know, most girls do not want to hear that from a guy,” Lorelai pointed out, smiling in spite of how pale and shaky she looked. “Honestly, I’m fine, I just... I should probably sit down.”

They headed for the nearest bench, since Luke doubted she was going to make it all the way across the square right now. Lorelai lowered herself onto one end and he took the other, putting the bags down between them. He watched her take a few deep breaths, and soon the colour began to return to her cheeks.

“You wanna tell me now what you’re doing with all this stuff?” he asked, almost dreading the answer, truth be told.

This was how Luke pictured his sister leaving their house not so long ago, all the vital belongings packed into a couple of hold-alls, hopping onto a bus and just disappearing. As much as Lorelai’s home situation didn’t always suit her, he really hoped she hadn’t done the same thing, not when she knew how much Luke and his father had been hurt and worried by Liz.

“You’re not going to like this story,” said Lorelai, looking sideways at Luke, perhaps only just now realising how much he wasn’t going to like it. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said, taking in the way his expression hardened some, “but things are so different for me.”

“How are they different, Lorelai?” asked Luke, sure he sounded and looked just about as exasperated as he felt. “I’m not judging you, you can make your own choices, but after what happened with Liz, you know what that did - what it’s still doing - to me and to my dad.”

“My parents aren’t like you, or your father!” Lorelai insisted, perhaps a little more loudly than was strictly necessary, and it showed when more than one person in the square turned to stare. “It’s just different, okay?” she said more quietly, leaning towards Luke a little more. “I can’t breathe in that house. I can’t do anything, not one single thing, without somebody yelling at me or looking at me like I’m the biggest disappointment in the world,” she said sadly. “I had to get out. I don’t want my baby to be born into that mess.”

Luke wanted to argue some more, he really did, but it was tough to even try. He knew quite a bit about Lorelai’s situation from what she had told him, but he hadn’t lived it, couldn’t really know what it was like to be her. He never saw her house or met her parents. Maybe they were too hard on her, maybe it was different for her compared to Liz. For all that neither Luke nor William were happy about Liz’s pregnancy or her choice in men, he really hoped they never made her feel quite as bad as this.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he promised Lorelai when he saw tears pooling in her eyes. “I can’t... Please, don’t cry,” he urged her.

“It’s not me, it’s the stupid hormones,” Lorelai insisted, swiping at her eyes. “I just couldn’t take it anymore, Luke. I really couldn’t.”

When she looked at him like that, he couldn’t stand to argue with her. She had to be desperate to run like this, especially with nowhere and no-one specific in mind to head for. At least Liz had Jimmy, such as he was. It was more that Lorelai had right now.

“Okay,” he said then, nodding his head. “So, where were you headed exactly?”

“I don’t know.” Lorelai shrugged. “I have some money, savings and stuff. I thought maybe I could rent a room, try to get a job. As plans go, it’s not the best but...”

Lorelai got up from the bench too fast and she knew it the second her vision blurred. Unfortunately, it was way too late to correct the mistake. Her knees buckled beneath her, and it was only thanks to Luke’s lightning reactions that she didn’t hit the ground.

William looked up from the counter just in time to see his son, carrying a young woman in his arms, to the hardware store. He hurried to open the door and usher Luke inside, along with two boys who he had clearly instructed to follow along with the bags.

“Take her upstairs, son, and put her on the couch,” said William, looking at Lorelai with concern. “I’ll call for a doctor.”

* * *

Lorelai felt strangely light-headed, and considered for a moment that she might be hungover from the night before. Did she party? She couldn’t remember. Maybe Christopher came over and they broke into Dad’s liquor cabinet. She frowned as she tried to remember for a few seconds more, and then reality hit her like a smack in the face. She was pregnant, she was in Stars Hollow, and she just passed out talking to...

“Luke?” she said, opening her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.

“Hey, careful,” he advised when she started to sit up. “Easy. I don’t want you to pass out again,” he said, suddenly in her line of sight and encouraging her with gentle hands to stay down. “It’s okay. You’re in my dad’s office.”

“How’d I get here?”

“I carried you.”

“My hero.” Lorelai smiled. “Wow, I’ll bet your town gossips are having a field day.”

“Probably,” said Luke, adjusting his hat.

He always seemed to do that when he was nervous, or uncomfortable, or at all stuck for something to say, Lorelai had noticed. It was cute, and she wasn’t so blind that she hadn’t noticed it wasn’t the only thing about Luke that was. Of course, now really wasn’t the time.

“The doctor will be here soon,” said William as he came into the office. “How’s the patient?”

“I’m fine,” Lorelai insisted, sitting up very, very slowly. “Honestly, I don’t need a doctor, and I’m really, really sorry about this.”

“Nothing to be sorry about, my dear,” said William, smiling kindly. “You just sit right there, take a rest, and went the doctor comes, just let him do his job, okay?”

“Yes, Mr Danes,” she said politely, finding him a smile. “Thank you.”

“Er, your stuff is right here,” said Luke then, in case Lorelai might worry about her bags. “I got some kids to bring it over, but they’re okay, they didn’t mess with anything.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” said Lorelai, hands to her face a moment. “I need to be fine too. I have to find a place for tonight.”

“Do your parents know you’re in Stars Hollow, Lorelai?” asked William then.

Lorelai bit her lip and glanced up at Luke. She half-expected him to tell his father the answer to that one. She was surprised he hadn’t already, but then there was no telling how much or how little time she was passed out. Even now, given the opportunity, he seemed willing to let her play this her way.

“They do,” she said eventually, “kind of. I left them a letter so they wouldn’t worry. I saw what Liz leaving did to you and Luke, and I know it seems like I did the same thing, but honestly? If you knew my parents...”

She looked so sad and pathetic. Some of it was deliberate on Lorelai’s part, William didn’t doubt that, but he also believed that maybe she did have her reasons for leaving too. Some girls did, especially in Lorelai’s condition. When she came to the house before, the day Lizzie had run away, he hadn’t known she was pregnant too. Now he did, and something in him wanted to help this girl and her child, especially since he was unable to be there for his own daughter and grandchild.

“Well, I think maybe the best thing is for you to come and stay with us tonight,” he said eventually. “After the doctor looks you over, Lucas will take you. You can have Lizzie’s room.”

“Oh, Mr Danes, I couldn’t do that,” said Lorelai, shaking her head and immediately regretting the rapid head movement. “I mean, I never expected-”

“It doesn’t matter what you expected,” he said kindly. “We’re neighbourly people here in Stars Hollow. You need a room for tonight, and we have one spare, so it’s yours. My daughter’s situation is different, but if she were out there alone in the world, I’d like to know someone was taking care of her. Of course, I am going to need your parents’ number so I can call them and let them know where you are. As a father myself, I know the value of that too.”

Lorelai opened her mouth to argue but found she really couldn’t do it. Mr Danes was being so kind and decent to her, plus Luke had been the greatest friend she could ask for these past few weeks. She really believed she would have gone crazy by now without him. There was nothing she could do but agree, except give up and go home, and that just was not going to happen.

Rifling in her bag, Lorelai pulled out a stack of bright pink post its and a pen with a sparkly flower and feathers on top. She scribbled down her parents’ names and number then handed it off to Luke’s father.

“Thank you,” he said, reading the purple ink.

“I think I’m the one who should be saying that to you,” said Lorelai, shoving the pen and paper back in her bag. “I really appreciate your help, both of you,” she assured them, “only, I have this horrible feeling that when you call the Gilmores, they’re just going to rush straight over here and drag me home again.”

Father and son shared a look.

“Dad’s not going to let that happen,” said Luke eventually, “right?” he checked.

“I think, at least for tonight, Lorelai should probably stay here,” said William. “I’ll make sure your parents know that,” he promised the young lady in question, before disappearing back downstairs.

Lorelai let out a very audible sigh of relief. “Your dad is really nice.”

“Yeah, he is,” Luke agreed, grinning perhaps a little too much. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked then, looking a Lorelai as she shifted awkwardly in her seat.

“Yeah,” she said, finding a comfortable position. “Yes, we will be” she said, her hand on her pregnant belly.

Luke stood there just watching her a moment, the sixteen-year-old mother-to-be who was carrying another man’s child, and wondered if he hadn’t gone completely crazy. Honestly, he was glad she would be staying with them tonight. A part of him wanted Lorelai to stay forever, the baby too. It made no sense, and he was a fool to consider it, but Luke was almost certain he was falling in love here, with no way to stop it.


	8. Chapter 8

Luke got up early the next morning. He figured he may as well. He really hadn’t slept much, knowing Lorelai was in the room right across the hall, and so he got himself up early, even though it was Sunday, and headed downstairs to make breakfast. He had hardly started when he heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to see his father framed in the doorway.

“Good Morning, Lucas,” he greeted him with a smile that proved he knew just exactly what was going on.

“Morning,” Luke replied. “Er, I was just-”

“I know what you were doing,” said his father, nodding his head, “but I think I’ll make breakfast this morning. You do it all week long, you deserve a break.”

“I really don’t mind,” insisted Luke, but he already knew he was fighting a losing battle.

“Actually,” said William, shooing him away from the countertop, “I was hoping you might take a walk over to the store for me, check that I locked up properly last night. I have this horrible feeling that I didn’t fasten all the bolts.”

Luke opened his mouth to protest, but realised there was no point. His father was meticulous about security, even in a town like Stars Hollow where you could leave all your doors wide open and never worry about a burglary. This was a ruse to get him out of the house, Luke knew it, but there was no use in arguing with his father, he knew that well enough too.

“Lucas?” William prompted when he was quiet too long.

“Yes, sir,” he said, nodding dutifully, as he took himself off to run his errand.

William smiled to himself as he put on the kettle to make tea and then set about making some breakfast. Lucas was a good boy, but it bothered William more than a little that he son was becoming so attached to Lorelai. She seemed like a pleasant girl, and he could hardly judge her or the parents who raised her, for the situation she found herself in. After all, his own Lizzie was in a similar state. Still, he would like a chance to talk to Lorelai without Lucas getting in the way. If she was going to stay in their home very much longer, there were a few things that needed to be discussed.

A door closed with a thud upstairs, and then there were footsteps on the stairs. William was just serving up eggs and toast when his guest appeared in the kitchen.

“Good morning, Lorelai,” he greeted her pleasantly.

“Good morning,” she replied in kind, lifting one hand in an awkward wave.

“Breakfast?” he offered, gesturing to the plates on the table.

“Thank you, that’d be great,” she told him, taking a seat. “Also, thank you again for letting me stay here last night, it means a lot to me that you would do that.”

“We have the room, it was no problem,” William assured her, encouraging her to eat. “I hope you’re feeling better today?”

“I’m good, thanks. I think mostly I wanna say thank you for convincing my parents that they didn’t need to come drag me home again and lock me away in a tower like Rapunzel or something,” Lorelai explained, picking up a fork and digging it into what appeared to be deliciously fluffy eggs. “Seriously, if you could tell me how you got the great Richard and Emily Gilmore to pay attention to what you had to say like that, I would be eternally grateful for the tip. It’s a Jedi mind trick right? Because I can’t think how else you pulled it off.”

William’s eyes widened a little at the speed with which Lorelai spoke, not to mention the words she used that made little or no sense to him.

“Well, I don’t actually know what that means,” he explained, taking the seat opposite her, “but I really didn’t do anything so special, Lorelai. Your parents seem like reasonable people, at least during the short conversation that we had together. Your father was only happy to know you were safe and well, which I assured him you were.”

“Ah, you spoke to my father,” said Lorelai, nodding her head. “Well, he’s in insurance so he talks a good game.”

“You don’t believe he cares what happens to you?”

“No. I mean, I do,” she clarified, chewing thoughtfully on her eggs. “It’s just... I don’t know. They’re not bad people, they’re seriously not,” she promised, looking across at Luke’s dad. “They don’t keep me chained to the wall or make me sleep in the fireplace or anything.”

“That’s good to hear,” he said, unable to keep back the smile that tugged at his lips.

“They love me, I guess,” Lorelai admitted, “but I never... I just don’t feel like I belong. I’ve never really felt like I did, and then this happened,” she said, gesturing to her pregnant belly, “which I know is my responsibility, no-one else’s.”

“I think it might also be the responsibility of the young man involved,” William noted.

“Well, sure, but you know what I mean. I’m not blaming my parents for how they raised me, or society, or rock ‘n’ roll, or whatever else gets blamed for the teen pregnancy rate these days,” she explained. “Me and Chris, we did what we did, and now there’s a baby. I’m not trying to get out of that, as if I could, but it’s suddenly as if my life isn’t my own anymore. Emily and Richard are still calling the shots and none of it’s going the way I want,” she said grumpily, before looking back at William again. “Do I sound like a spoiled brat to you?” she asked worriedly.

“Not especially,” he said, shaking his head, “but I will say this to you, Lorelai, if you’d take a little advice from a father that’s not your own?”

“Go for it,” she urged him.

“When you have children, life really isn’t about what you want anymore,” he explained, in a kind, easy way that reminded her of Luke and yet not somehow. “It’s about what your child needs. I’m not saying you can’t ever have anything else out of life when you have a family, of course you can, but the child comes first. What they need, what’s best for them. At least, that’s the way I’ve always thought it should be,” he considered, not preaching or judging, just giving advice the way a father ought to, if he could. “Just something to think about,” he said, getting up from his seat and moving over to the kettle as it whistled on the stove.

Lorelai was certain he was right about that. William Danes really had given her something to think about. Kids came first, it was how it was supposed to be, which meant she ought to be the greatest priority for her mom and dad. Strange then that all they really seemed to care about was their reputation, what the neighbours would think, how they might be judged for Lorelai’s own behaviour.

All she knew for sure right now was that she was never going to be that way. Lorelai was bound and determined that she was going to be the best kind of parent, more like Luke’s father. Maybe he hadn’t been able to keep his own daughter from getting knocked up and running off with a crappy boyfriend, but he wasn’t judgy, he was kind and considerate, helpful even. Luke was a lot like him, just younger and better looking, though Lorelai wasn’t entirely sure when she had started to notice his looks.

So lost in thought was Lorelai, she really didn’t notice the young man in question until he was sat at the table with her, smiling widely.

“Hey, Luke,” she greeted him, trying not to look startled.

“Hey. You sleep okay?” he asked her.

“Um, yeah,” she said, nodding her head and trying to put her attention back on her breakfast before she started blushing like a fool. “Might’ve been easier without Marky Mark staring down at me from the ceiling, but hey, what can you do?”

“Yeah, Liz is a little crazy about the guy,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I honestly don’t get it.”

“More of a Simon Le Bon gal myself, but to each her own celebrity crush.”

“Right,” he said, nodding his head, though the look on his face was entirely blank.

“Geez, you don’t even know who I’m talking about, do you?”

“Sure I do,” Luke countered. “He’s a singer.”

“Which band?” asked Lorelai, staring at him too intently.

Luke shifted unfortunately in his seat and then rose to speak to his father.

“The store was all locked up,” he told him, “and I saw Mr Johnson on the way over, he said he’ll be dropping in early tomorrow to pick up those screws that you talked about?”

“Ah, yes. I remember,” said William, nodding his head as he handed Luke a plate of eggs. “Well, it’s such a beautiful start to the day, I think I’m going to eat my breakfast on the porch. Excuse me,” he said, smiling at Lorelai as he left the room.

“Your dad is the best, seriously,” she told Luke the moment he was gone. “I would kill to have a father like that.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty good as dads go,” Luke agreed, stabbing at the eggs on his plate. “I’m glad he let you stay here.”

“Me too,” Lorelai agreed, wondering why it was so tough to meet his eyes when he was looking at her like that.

This was the last thing she needed and she knew it. Luke couldn’t fall in love with her and she sure as hell couldn’t be dumb enough to fall for him. She was having Chris’ baby, currently in the process of trying to escape her parents, and life was pretty much one big mess. Luke had a previously sick father and an absent pregnant little sister to worry about. They really didn’t need to be making each other’s lives any more complicated than they already were, and yet.

“Woah!” Lorelai gasped, unable to help it as her hand shot to her stomach.

Immediately, Luke looked horribly alarmed.

“What? Do you need a doctor? I’ll call a doctor,” he said quickly, jumping to his feet.

“No, it’s fine,” Lorelai promised, smiling as she looked up at him. “I swear, it’s fine. Come here,” she urged Luke, pulling on his hand. “You gotta feel this.”

He was too stunned to argue as Lorelai placed his hand on her swollen stomach and held it there. Suddenly there was a jolt as the baby presumably kicked against his hand. Luke was amazed.

“Isn’t that incredible?” said Lorelai, grinning like a loon.

“Yeah, pretty incredible,” Luke agreed as the baby kicked again. “I think she’s gonna be a soccer player or something.”

“Maybe,” Lorelai considered. “I don’t know. I’m happy if she wants to be a rockstar or a meter maid, a teacher or a waitress. Hey, she might be president one day, what do you think of that?”

“A woman as president?” asked Luke, one eyebrow raised. “That’d be something.”

“You never know.” Lorelai shrugged. “So long as she’s happy. This kid of mine is going to be very happy and do whatever she wants... within reason, obviously,” she added when she saw the look on Luke’s face. “I really wanna be the best mom.”

“You will be,” Luke told her, eyes meeting hers.

It took a few moments before either of them realised she still had a hold on his hand and that it was still resting on her stomach. In any other circumstance, if they had met before the pregnancy, in any other place or time...

“Er, I should...” said Luke, pulling his hand away and practically running for the door.

“Yeah,” said Lorelai, nodding her head. “Going is better,” she said when he was gone.

Looking down at her breakfast, she made a face and pushed the plate away. Somehow she really wasn’t hungry anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

It was only a matter of time before her parents showed up. Lorelai wished she could live in a make-believe bubble where it was just as easy as staying put at the Danes house and never having to face Emily and Richard again, but that was an impossible dream. Besides, as great as Luke was, as kind as his father was, it might be pretty strange to insert herself into their lives, in place of Liz or something. Yes, that would just be weird.

Still, she could’ve liked this life, Lorelai thought, sitting on the porch seat, watching the world go by a while. A quaint little town where all the neighbours knew each other and actually cared, little Mom and Pop stores, a gazebo in the town square. It was all so cute, so simple, so normal. Lorelai kind of loved it.

“Ah, Lorelai,” said William as he came across her. “I just spoke to your father again. Given that you’re still not feeling so well, I suggested it might be better if you stayed here another night and then headed home tomorrow. He agreed that would be just fine.”

“Oh. Okay. Thank you, Mr Danes,” she said politely. “So long as I’m not being any trouble.”

“Of course not,” he assured her. “Now, I’m actually on my way out, I have some things I need to see to, but Luke is inside if you need anything.”

“Thank you, again.” Lorelai smiled. “I really appreciate it.”

He smiled back at her, nodded his head and then went towards his car.

As he drove away, Lorelai raised her hand in a wave and was glad to see him wave back. Mr Danes really was the nicest guy. It wasn’t tough to see where Luke got it from. It was funny to think that for a while there Lorelai had thought her situation was very similar to that of Liz Danes. She had at least a little piece of understanding when it came to why Luke’s sister had bolted, after all, she had done something similar herself, or at least tried to. Now she was spending time here at this house, Lorelai had to wonder what it was Liz was running from. Maybe that wasn’t it at all, maybe she was running towards something instead.

“Jimmy Mariano must be quite the catch,” she said out loud to herself.

“Why would you say that?” asked Luke from the doorway. “Sorry,” he apologised immediately that he realised he had startled her.

“I’m fine,” Lorelai promised, before the frown returned to her face, “which is funny because your dad seemed to think I was feeling sick again.”

She cast a look in Luke’s direction and he immediately glanced away, hands going right up to his head and adjusting his hat. Yep, there was no doubt that he had something to do with that confusion, though Lorelai was curious to find out what had driven the honest and upstanding Luke Danes to subterfuge.

“Come on,” she urged him. “Are you gonna spill it or do I have to tip you over?”

“I might have suggested you could use another day’s rest or without drama or something,” said Luke, gesturing randomly with one arm now. “I didn’t think you’d want to go home yet.”

“You thought right,” said Lorelai, smiling when he finally met her eyes. “Honestly? I could use never having to go home again. Not that I have a clue where I’m going instead but... well, here is good, for tonight at least,” she said, looking out across the yard again. “It’s so peaceful here, but the nice kind of peaceful, you know? At home, you can have silence for hours if you want, but it’s the stony, lonely, awful kind. Here it’s the kind of peace and quiet that comes with birds singing and neighbours chatting and... it’s just nice,” she said with a contented sigh, leaning back in her seat.

“I guess it is,” Luke agreed, nodding his head, finding it hard to tear his eyes away from her. “It’s nice to see you smiling so much.”

“Yeah, well. Enjoy it while it lasts,” she told him, hardly letting go of the expression even then. “Thanks for telling your little white lie to your dad. I appreciate the extra ounce of freedom.”

“No problem. So, what you said about Jimmy?” Luke prompted then, still curious about what he heard when he first stepped out the door.

“Oh, that was nothing,” said Lorelai, waving it away already. “I was just thinking about your sister. She ran, I ran, but it’s not the same. I figure since there’s really nothing here to run from, she must’ve been running to him, you know? So, he’s gotta be some guy, right?”

“Yeah, he’s some guy alright,” Luke agreed, rolling his eyes. “He’s half the reason Liz is the way she is.”

“Really? Because from the way you told it before, her wild child phase started a while before she even met the famous Jimmy.”

Luke sighed, shook his head and came over to sit down my Lorelai.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure Liz was ever anything but a wild child. Mom died when she was so young and dad... he does his best and he’s great, but with Liz... I don’t know. I think she just needed a mom.”

“And the next thing you know, she’s going to be a mom,” said Lorelai knowingly. “She’s probably as terrified about that as I am,” she said, one hand resting on her rounded belly.

Luke looked away then. The reality of Lorelai’s situation kept on catching him unawares, even though it ought to be plain as day, given the size of her. Sure, she wasn’t exactly huge, but then she did have three months left to go in her pregnancy. Liz was down to less than two, and was probably getting real big by now. Still, with Lorelai, just talking about everyday things, it was easy to forget somehow that she was pregnant, and with another man’s child too. Not that Luke wanted her to be carrying his kid, because that would be insane, but...

“You okay?” she asked when silence had reigned too long. “Luke?”

Her hand on his arm startled him from deep and muddled thought. He turned to look at her but had no idea what to say.

“You hungry?” he asked eventually, knowing at least that ought to be safe ground.

“How long have you known me now?” she replied with wide eyes. “Three months maybe? By now you should have figured out that Lorelai Gilmore is pretty much always hungry.”

“Then come inside, Lorelai Gilmore,” he urged her, getting up and reaching for her hand to assist her in doing the same, “and tell me what you want me to make for lunch. Anything you want.”

“Anything I want?” she checked. “Hmm... do you have ice-cream?”

* * *

It hadn’t been a plan when he went out today. Quite honestly, Lorelai and her situation had been on his agenda but not in this way. He simply wanted to find out from a couple of local sources if anything was known about the Gilmores of Hartford. He never kept up with gossip and rumour, that just wasn’t William Danes’ way, but he heard certain things in the store sometimes, it was unavoidable.

Checking in with Miss Patty and others, he came to find that nobody knew a thing about the Gilmores, and actually, he took that as a good sign. They might not be famous as far away as Stars Hollow, but at least they were not infamous either.

Laughter greeted William’s ears as he opened up the front door and headed into the house. Not just Lorelai’s voice was to be heard, but Lucas’ too. The TV was on, and the youngsters were at either end of the couch, Lorelai with her feet up on the cushions and Lucas just lounging at the far end. They both appeared to be eating ice-cream.

“Did I miss lunch?” he asked, getting their attention very suddenly.

“Mr Danes,” said Lorelai, looking as if she had just been caught doing something far worse than indulging in ice-cream and putting her feet on the furniture.

“Hey, Dad” said Luke, appearing equally guilty somehow. “We were just-”

“Watching television and enjoying your dessert,” he finished for him. “I’m almost jealous to be left out, but it’s fine,” he assured them. “I actually ate whilst I was out, and now I’m going upstairs for a while. So, you two can carry on with your show and your food.”

He was smiling the whole time, apparently not at all bothered by what they were doing. Lorelai wondered why she thought he would care anyway. They were only eating ice-cream and watching I Love Lucy re-runs. She had been caught by her own parents doing much worse before now. The most she could be accused of right now was having her feet up on the couch, and she had removed her shoes before doing so.

“Why do you look like you just got caught having sex or something?” she asked Luke as he turned increasingly white.

“I don’t,” he protested anyway, putting his bowl down quickly on the table.

He put it on a coaster, Lorelai noted.

“Please tell me you’re not afraid of your dad. He’s so cool.”

“I’m not afraid of him, I just... he’s my father. I have respect for him,” Luke explained.

“Which is also cool,” said Lorelai, nodding her head, “but you don’t have to go all weird every time he comes into a room just because I’m here. Unless it’s not just because I’m here.”

“It’s partly because you’re here,” Luke admitted. “Not that I want you to be anywhere else, and it’s not your fault. It’s just not... things had been weird since Liz left, and now you’re here and I keep expecting Dad to be different, to judge, I guess. He’s not really that guy but I wasn’t so sure he was going to be this flexible and easy about having you stay here.”

“Well, he is,” said Lorelai, staring into the remains of her melting ice-cream. “I’m really grateful that he is. I mean, you’ve been a great friend to me these past couple of months. Kind of the only friend I’ve had actually, since this whole pregnant thing happened. Now your dad is being so helpful and decent. I can’t even tell you...”

As it turned out, when she tried, she really couldn’t tell him all that it meant to her. Lorelai was even surprised to find her eyes filling with tears and her voice completely abandoning her. It was crazy. She wasn’t usually so overly emotional, and she told Luke as much just as soon as she could manage it.

“It’s the hormones, I guess,” she said, trying to clear her throat. “Everything just makes me feel so up and down.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Luke assured her, taking the bowl from her hands to put with his on the table and moving up closer on the couch. “It’s fine. You can be up or down, whatever you want,” he told her, perhaps the most weirdly comforting thing Lorelai had heard in a long time, but at least it made her laugh.

“Oh my God, I’m so stupid!” Lorelai exclaimed, wiping at her face with both hands. “And now I look like a panda,” she said, completely sure that her make-up had run and pooled around her eyes by now.

“You look fine,” Luke assured her. “Better than fine, you’re...”

He stopped short of saying ‘beautiful’ when her eyes met his and the world, as well as his voice, just completely went away. This was insane. Luke was pretty sure he was certifiably crazy, but if he could have just kissed her, right in that moment, he would have, but he couldn’t and he didn’t. As if their lives weren’t complicated enough already.

“I’ll get you some tissues,” he said, practically leaping from the couch and heading for the stairs.

Lorelai let out a long breath and wiped her face with her hands one more time. It was so weird. In any other circumstances, she was pretty sure she knew exactly what would have just happened, and it would not have involved Luke moving further away from her, that was for certain. Of course, things were not different, they were exactly as they always had been since before she even met Luke. Lorelai was pregnant, with Christopher’s child, and nothing was going to change that. The last thing she needed was to fall for Luke Danes, and yet...

The phone ringing in the hall snapped her out of that train of thought just in time. Lorelai expected either Luke or William to come down and answer it, but nobody did. Getting up from the couch, she moved over to the corner table and reached her hand towards the receiver. She waited one more ring and then picked it up.

“Danes residence, this is Lorelai speaking,” she said politely.

“Lorelai?” said the voice on the other end of the line. “Oh, Luke’s girlfriend! Hey, it’s Liz. We talked on the phone that one time.”

“Yeah, I guess we did,” said Lorelai. “Hi, Liz. Er, wait one second I’ll yell to your brother... or your father... which one did you want?”

“Oh, neither one actually if I can avoid it,” she said, huffing out a sigh. “Families, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Lorelai agreed. “Um, then you want me to give them a message or something?” she tried, sure there must be some reason why Liz had called.

“I guess, but... You know, what? Actually, no. Just tell ‘em I’ll see ‘em real soon, okay?”

“Okay,” Lorelai replied, “but you could tell them yourself really. Luke is right... here.”

The last word became disjointed when she realised that Liz had already hurriedly said her goodbyes and hung up in the interim, just as Luke came back down the stairs, a box of tissues between his hands.

“Who was that?” he asked as he hit the bottom step.

“That was Liz. She said to let you know that she would see you real soon,” explained Lorelai. “Thank you,” she said then, taking the tissues from Luke’s hands since he now seemed incapable of actually handing them over herself.

“You’re welcome,” he replied like a reflex. “That was Liz? And that was all she said?” he double-checked.

“Pretty much.” Lorelai nodded. “I asked if I should yell for you guys, she said no, asked me to pass on the message that you’ll see her soon. End of conversation,” she recapped, peering into the mirror on the wall and trying to right the wrongs of her make-up - she was fighting a losing battle. “Okay, this isn’t working. I’m bathroom-bound to mend the damage,” she said, heading for the stairs, past a still apparently dumb-founded Luke. “Hey, you’re okay, right?” she checked before she was too far away.

“Sure, yeah,” Luke assured her, though he was sure he didn’t exactly look it still.

He wanted to see Liz and know for sure she was okay, but at the same time, he couldn’t understand why she had said they would see her soon. He wasn’t sure if that meant she was coming home for good, if she had left Jimmy or if she was bringing him with her, or what. Luke wasn’t even sure he wanted to know. It was just something to know she was probably okay.

Of course, if Liz did come home and need her room back, that would leave Lorelai without. Not that she was supposed to be staying forever, probably not more than for tonight. Luke wasn’t sure why he hated so much that she had to leave so soon, or maybe he did know exactly and that was the larger problem. Maybe in time things would get simpler, Luke would like to think so, but with his little sister and his good friend both due to give birth in the next few months, he really doubted it somehow.


	10. Chapter 10

It was so familial, so normal and every day, but Lorelai loved it. Just sitting around in the living room reading her magazine, whilst Luke washed the dishes from dinner and Mr Danes tinkered with the toaster on the coffee table. Honestly, Lorelai was spending as much time watching him fix the appliance as she was reading Elle. It was kind of fascinating actually.

As Sundays went, she certainly hadn’t had a bad one here. She watched TV, ate good food, talked with Luke, and just relaxed for a while, without the constant worry or being judged or cast down. It felt good, and she genuinely wished she could stay longer. Tomorrow, however, her parents would come to collect her and she would be back to reality, since she really did have nowhere else to go.

“You want me to take a look at that, Dad?” asked Luke as he came through from the kitchen.

“No, thank you, son,” said William, making one further adjustment. “I think...” he said, trying it one more time and smiling widely when the mechanism popped up as it should. “All fixed.”

“Cool,” said Lorelai, grinning also. “My dad is great at his job and everything, but practical Mr Fix It skills? Nope, not a one.”

“Well, we’re each skilled in our own ways, I suppose,” said William, taking the toaster back to the kitchen, and the tools back to their place too. “You know, Lucas,” he said to his son, head firmly in a cupboard even as he spoke. “It would be helpful if you could open up the store tomorrow morning.”

“Sure, no problem,” Luke agreed easily.

“With that in mind, might be best if you got an early night, don’t you think?”

Luke opened his mouth to reply to that question, glancing into the living room where Lorelai was curled into the armchair. He wanted to talk to her some more, spend time whilst he had the chance. Clearly his father was against that idea. It wasn’t as if Luke couldn’t understand why, but still.

“Yes, sir,” he said with a defeated sigh.

William smiled as he watched his son take himself off to bed, wishing Lorelai a goodnight on the way. He was a good boy, sometimes too good. As pleasant a girl as young Lorelai Gilmore seemed to be, William would rather his son didn’t make it his life’s mission to be her saviour. There had to be another young man more suited to the role, such as the one who was involved in the creation of the child Lorelai carried. Still, William was determined they would be of some use to Lorelai yet.

“I guess I should turn in too,” she said as he re-joined her in the living room. “Part of me doesn’t want to though. If I go to sleep, tomorrow will come.”

“If you don’t sleep, it’ll still come,” William told her what of course she already knew. “Time marches on, whether we want it to or not,” he noted, sitting down opposite her. “You just don’t want to go home.”

“You’re smart,” she told him, smiling in spite of how true that fact was. “When I ran I meant to be gone for good. Staying here, it’s been amazing. Like I can finally breathe, you know? But I can’t stay forever, I know that, even if Liz wasn’t talking about coming home, which I am totally glad for you that she is. I just... well, honestly, if my home and my family were like this, I never would’ve left,” she said definitely.

That made William smile all the more.

“Lorelai, you know, if you really did want to leave your home, and I’m not suggesting that you should,” he told her firmly, “but if the time arose when you felt you must, I would like to think you had somewhere safe and sensible to run too. As you say, it can’t really be here. As much as it’s been a pleasure to have you stay for the weekend, it wouldn’t be practical full-time. However, I have a friend, her name is Mia. She owns an inn here in Stars Hollow.”

“The Independence,” said Lorelai, nodding her head. “Luke mentioned it before, and Mia too actually.”

“She has been sort of an aunt figure in his life,” William explained. “She has no children of her own, so she has been known to mother just about any waif and stray that comes her way, not to mention being very kind to even those who have their own parents, like my Lucas and Lizzie. In any case, she is always looking for maids and waitresses, reliable young people to add to her staff.”

“Oh, well, that’d be great,” said Lorelai, “except... well, would she really want a sixteen-year-old pregnant maid?”

“Perhaps she wouldn’t mind, if you could cope,” William considered, “but I was thinking maybe after the baby is born” he explained. “It’s just something to think about. If you needed somewhere.”

He got up from the chair then and turned to the stairs. Lorelai’s voice stopped him in his tracks barely two steps away.

“Not that I don’t appreciate it, but why would you encourage me to leave home?”

It was a pertinent question and they both knew it, epically given how hurt both William and Luke had been by Liz running away. Maybe it had occurred to all of them by now that as similar as the circumstances of Liz and Lorelai might be, there were plenty of differences too.

“I don’t think you need any encouragement, Lorelai,” said William then, turning back to look at her. “I think you’re a very capable young lady who knows her own mind, and if you’re determined to leave home, be it before or after your baby arrives, at least this way you can go somewhere safe and be under the supervision of someone with kindness and good sense,” he told her. “I can’t ensure all that for my own daughter, she won’t allow it, but for you, I have that chance.”

Lorelai was so incredibly moved by his kindness, she barely had words. She thought Luke had made her cry earlier, it was nothing compared to how close to sobbing she was now.

“Thank you, Mr Danes,” she choked out, reaching for the box on the table and trying to hide her tears in a bundle of tissue.

William came back to her, putting his hand on her back a moment as she cried.

“You’re welcome, Lorelai,” he told her when the worst of her tears were over. “Now, perhaps you might benefit from getting some sleep too.”

“Yeah,” she said, swallowing hard, “I think so,” she agreed, finding him a watery smile.

She got up from the couch and headed for the stairs, shuffling her way up one more time. It still didn’t thrill her to know that tomorrow she was leaving this house. In no time at all, she had come to feel like she belonged here, but at least there was a light at the end of the tunnel now. That wasn’t nothing.

* * *

“Hello? Hello?” said Luke, frowning when he got no answer. “Liz?” he tried when all he heard was a faint sniffle.

“It’s me.”

“Lorelai, what’s wrong?” he asked, immediately concerned to hear her so upset. “What happened?”

“Nothing that I didn’t expect,” she explained, swallowing hard. “So much for my mom and all her kind words and concerned looks when we left your place, I should’ve known it wouldn’t last.”

Luke closed his eyes and sighed. He’d had a horrible feeling this was going to happen. If he had his way, Lorelai would have stayed there with him and his father, where she was safe and cared for. Not that he thought the great Emily and Richard would actually do Lorelai any real harm, not physically. They just didn’t seem to know how to be what she needed. She insisted they loved her, they just didn’t get her. Luke felt like he understood her best of anyone lately, though his father had made a good effort too.

“Six hours,” he said sadly. “That’s all you got before she tore into you?”

“Not even that,” Lorelai explained. “She was pretty quiet the whole way home in the car, then when we got here and I asked her if she was ever going to talk to me again, she kind of exploded. My running out was so worrying, so disappointing, so shocking. I clearly hadn’t considered her feelings at all,” she said acidly. “Of course, the second I suggested she try to see things my way or think about my feelings, well, I may as well have asked her to understand the lyrics of Bowie. Not a chance.

“I really tried, Luke. The last thing your dad said to me before I left, the very last thing, was ‘please give them a chance to understand.’ I thought, ‘You know what? He’s right. I should give them a chance. I should be calm and cool, explain how I’m feeling, give them a real chance to get where I’m coming from and be on my side for a change.’ For a minute there, I actually thought it was going to work. God, I’m an idiot!”

“You’re not an idiot,” Luke told her firmly. “That was good advice my dad gave you. He just, he doesn’t know your parents.”

“He doesn’t know my mom,” she corrected. “He at least talked to my dad, not that I can imagine him being any more reasonable than Emily.”

“Maybe you could give it a try.”

“Maybe I should’ve stayed in Stars Hollow” Lorelai sighed then, undoubtedly looking horribly sad and dejected, Luke was sure as he pictured her. “I know your place wasn’t a forever option, but your Aunt Mia-”

“Mia?” Luke echoed, hardly even realising that he had interrupted. “You met Mia?”

“Not yet. Your dad didn’t tell you? He talked to Mia about getting me a job and a place to stay at her inn.”

“Wow. He didn’t tell me. I don’t know why he wouldn’t.”

Luke sat down at the bottom of the stairs, wondering at this particular revelation. He knew his father was being especially kind to Lorelai, no doubt trying to make up for what he saw as his failings with Liz. Still, the idea that he had looked into getting her a place to stay and a job at the Independence, he really hadn’t see that coming.

“Anyway, I should’ve gone for it,” Lorelai was saying when he next paid attention to her words. “I can’t believe I thought coming back here was a good idea, even for a second.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s not too late,” said Luke softly. “Lorelai, if you need to get out, you can always call me, call us,” he amended. “If Mia has said you can go live at the inn then she means it. She’s not the kind of person to go back on something like that.”

“That’s good to know,” said Lorelai, sniffling just a little still. “I guess I’ll try talking to Richard when he gets home, but I don’t know what good it’ll do.”

“Maybe he’ll surprise you.”

“Maybe, but I doubt it.”

Luke didn’t know what else to say to her. Honestly, he was so torn right now. It would be better for Lorelai if her parents could treat her like they should, with care and warmth, supporting her in the decisions instead of always knocking her down and trying to keep her obedient to their wishes. At the same time, if she needed to run, she would run toward him. To Mia, to Stars Hollow, to the Danes family who would always welcome her. Luke couldn’t not want that, it was just impossible.

“Lorelai, whatever you need, whenever you need it, I am always here,” he promised her, the only words he could think to say in such a moment. “You got that?”

“I got it,” she told him, seemingly crying all over again, though Luke had to hope they were at least happy tears now. “You’re an amazing guy, Luke Danes. Don’t ever doubt that.”

“And you’re amazing woman, Lorelai Gilmore. Don’t let anybody make you think you’re not,” he replied in kind.

When their call ended, Luke only hoped he had helped Lorelai to find some hope. She had left here with a smile, from what his father had said, albeit Luke suspected it may have been forced. At least if her home life wasn’t all it should be from here on out, she had options to consider. For now, that would have to be enough. Luke could do no more, until she asked him.


	11. Chapter 11

It was getting late when a knock on the door startled Luke half way up the stairs to bed. His father had already turned in for the night, and so he headed back down to see who was visiting at such a late hour. His heart began hammering in his chest when he realised it was likely to be Lorelai. It was five days since she went home to her parents, he wouldn’t be surprised if it was her, feeling the need to get away again. There was a real mixed-up combination of emotions going on inside when Luke got the door open and found a different pregnant woman standing on the porch.

“Liz?”

“Hey, big brother!” she greeted him with a grin, throwing her arms around him.

He tried to hug her back, but honestly, Luke had trouble with that now that she was so big. Still, he did his best. For all the worry she gave him and their father, Liz was his little sister and Luke loved her a lot, no matter what.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, pulling away to look her over. “I mean, it’s great that you’re here but-”

“You didn’t get my message?” she checked, frowning some. “Well, darn it, I left a message with your girlfriend when I called the other day.”

“Lorelai is not my girlfriend,” he said definitely.

“Sure thing, big brother.” Liz replied, rolling her eyes. “Well, whatever she is, she answered my call and I asked her to let you and Dad know we’d be coming by in a few days.”

“We?” echoed Luke, with a definite sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Sure. Hey, Jimmy! Get yourself in here!” she called out of the door.

Suddenly, there he was. Jimmy Mariano in all his unwashed glory, at least that was how he looked to Luke. As far as he could tell, Liz’s so-called fiancé really needed a bar of soap and a serious haircut, but of course, it wasn’t his place to say that, especially not now. It was good that Liz was home, especially now she was getting so close to her due date.

“Hey, man,” said Jimmy, nodding once as he closed the door behind himself.

“Hey, yourself,” Luke replied snippily before turning his attention back to Liz. “So, what is going on? Where have you been? Why are you suddenly back here?”

“Woah, woah, slow down, brother,” Liz urged him as he encouraged her into the living room and down onto the couch. “It’s hard enough moving around right now without you firing a bunch of questions at me.”

She managed to manoeuvre herself down onto the seat, over-sized baby bump and all, then signalled to Jimmy and patted the cushion beside her. He joined her, though he looked awkward and put-out about even being here, truth be told. Luke had an urge to tell him he could leave just as soon as he liked but bit his tongue. He was too glad to have Liz here, safe and sound, to risk having her walk out again before their dad even got a chance to see her.

“You got so big,” said Luke pointlessly as he took in the true size of Liz.

“Just five weeks left to go,” she noted, one hand on the large roundness of her belly. “I swear, if this kid doesn’t come out three feet tall already, I’ll be amazed. He’s gonna be a big strapping boy, just like his daddy,” she said in a babyish voice, looking at Jimmy with the usual adoration.

“Lizzie,” he said, shaking his head. “If the kid’s lucky he’ll look more like you.”

“Aww, that’s sweet,” she said, her hand at his cheek as she kissed him on the lips.

Luke looked away and tried not to get too nauseous, which didn’t come easy, truth be told. Thankfully, the moment didn’t last too long.

“So, anyway, we had a couple of issues at our new place. Long story short, they kicked us out.”

“They kicked a woman who is almost eight months’ pregnant out of her home?” Luke gasped. “That’s disgusting? What reason did they give?”

“Er, well, it mighta had something to do with us not paying rent this month, or the utilities, or anything,” she admitted, smiling yet. “You know how it is, Luke. Jimmy lost one of his jobs and I sure can’t work right now. New York is just expensive these days.”

“You chose to go there, Liz. You could’ve stayed here,” said Luke pointedly, eyes more on Jimmy than his sister right now. “Nobody made you leave.”

“Hey, man, I get that you’re mad about Lizzie leaving like she did,” said Jimmy then, “but I did not steal her away. She chose to come be with me. I mean, we’re having a kid.”

“Of course we are and a kid should have two parents if they can,” said Liz definitely. “I don’t want to be miles and miles away from the man I love, and I sure as hell don’t want my son to grow up only seeing his daddy on weekends or holidays or whatever. We wanna be a family. Can’t you understand that, Luke?”

Luke heaved a sigh. Of course he could understand that. Family was important to him, as it always had been to their father, and their mother to when she was alive. For all that Luke and William had both taken issue with Liz running away from home, from what they saw as her family, he had to admit, she had at least been running to a kind of family too. Jimmy might be scum in Luke’s book, but if he really did want to be with Liz, stand by her and the kid they’d made, he couldn’t be all bad.

Of course, thoughts of their situation led Luke’s brain right back to Lorelai, her baby, her boyfriend. Not that she and Christopher were exactly together any more, but he was the baby’s father. That was a whole other mess that Luke wasn’t sure how to deal with. At least where Liz was concerned he had some control, even if only a very little.

“So, anyway,” his sister was saying when he next paid attention, “we were thinking maybe the best place for us right now would be here. I mean, this is my home, it can be Jimmy’s too, and then when the baby comes... well, eventually, obviously, we’ll get a place of our own, but for now, it’d be cool if we crashed in my room, right?”

Luke’s mouth opened and closed twice without any sound coming out. Having Liz here, even having her son here when the time came, that would be okay, but Jimmy Mariano too? He wasn’t sure if he could stand it. Besides, there was a small part of him that was still holding out hopes of somehow keeping Liz’s room free in case Lorelai came back. It didn’t seem likely. If she ran from home it would be to Mia now, he supposed, but still.

“Liz, I don’t know,” he said at last. “I’m not sure how dad is gonna feel about all of this.”

“Dad feels just fine about it,” said a voice from the stairs.

William descended, wrapped in his dressing down, and immediately Liz fought to get up from the couch to greet him. They met right in front of Luke, throwing out their arms and hugging each other just the best they could in the circumstances.

“Oh, welcome home, Lizzie,” said her father, smiling widely.

Honestly, after everything that had gone before, Luke was officially stunned, and yet he supposed he ought to have known this was how it would be if Liz ever brought herself home again. Gone was all shred of the pain and anger she seemed to feel before she ran away. Gone too was all William’s worry, doubt, and fear. Father and daughter were reunited and thrilled to be so. As much as it pained Luke to admit it, he was glad to have Liz back too, even if she had brought that waste of space Mariano with her. For as long as they were here, at least he knew his sister and as yet unborn nephew were safe.

“And you know you don’t have to worry about what the neighbours will think anymore,” said Liz then, more to Luke than her father, they noted. “Me and Jimmy can share a room without anyone batting an eye now.”

Her left hand was very much in Luke’s face then, showing off a ring that looked like it might’ve come out of a gumball machine. Knowing Jimmy, there was every chance that it had.

“I know you’re engaged, Liz. You told me before,” her brother reminded her.

“That’s not at engagement ring, silly!” she said, rolling her eyes, but grinning all the same. “It’s a wedding band. We got married in New York!”

* * *

This was so stupid. Lorelai knew she shouldn’t really be here, and yet, she had nowhere else to go. Even if she did, given the choice, she was pretty sure she would pick this house above all others to come visit. It was Sunday, so at least she knew the Danes were likely to be home. It certainly was the perfect day for her to escape without her parents noticing. They had some fancy soiree las night, didn’t pour themselves into bed until well past midnight, and they never expected Lorelai to be up early on Sunday because she simply never had been before, not until today.

Her bags had been packed the night before, more carefully than even the last time she made an attempt at escape. She found her chance and she made her exit. This time she definitely wasn’t going back, even if things didn’t work out with Mr Danes’ friend, Mia. Quite honestly, Lorelai wasn’t thinking beyond seeing Luke right now. He always seemed to make her feel better about everything, just by being there.

Knocking on the door, she waited impatiently for a response and got a real surprise when it wasn’t Luke or William who opened the door.

“Hi,” she said the guy stood before her.

“Hey,” he replied, looking mildly confused. “Can I help you?”

“Um, I hope so. I’m Lorelai, I’m-”

“Luke’s girlfriend,” he said suddenly, snapping his fingers. “Come on in.”

“Thanks,” said Lorelai, doing just that. “Um, I’m sorry, who are you?”

“I’m Jimmy. Liz’s boyf- husband,” he said, correcting himself at the last moment. “That’s taking a little getting used to.”

“I’ll bet it is,” Lorelai agreed, following him through to the living room where Liz was laid out on the couch, looking even more enormously pregnant than Lorelai herself.

“Lorelai’s here for Luke,” said Jimmy, sitting back down on the couch and lifting Liz’s feet into his lap.

“Oh, you’re the famous Lorelai!” Liz gasped, eyes getting wider all the time as they ran down Lorelai’s body. “Geez, you’re-”

“In the same boat you are, yeah,” Lorelai confirmed, “but this is not... she’s mine, she’s not Luke’s, in case you were wondering,” she explained fast. “Not that I wouldn’t... well, I mean, me and Luke, we’re friends, that’s all.”

“Uh-huh,” said Liz, nodding like she understood and yet Lorelai would be surprised if she did somehow. “Hey, Luke!” she suddenly bellowed, almost making Lorelai physically jump. “Luke, get down here!” she tried again.

“What is wrong with you?” he asked as he came rushing down the stairs. “Liz, I was trying to...”

“Hey,” Lorelai greeted him with a small wave. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything. If you’re busy.”

“No, I’m not. I’m not busy,” he told her, shaking his head. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“I was just meeting your sister and your... brother-in-law,” she said with a look.

“Yeah. Er, we should... you wanna go sit out on the porch? It’s warm out there, right?”

“Warm enough,” Lorelai agreed quickly, glad as Luke was to escape the house, truth be told. “Wow,” she said, the moment they were alone on the porch. “I was so not expecting that.”

“Yeah. Liz just showed up Friday night, said she was moving back in and Jimmy too. Apparently, they got married in New York.”

“So, I heard, but hey, at least she’s here. You know she’s safe and everything, that’s gotta be something.”

“It’s something,” Luke agreed, gesturing for her to sit down.

He got a real surprise when he realised there was no room for him on the swing seat since the rest of it was filled with three large and heavy-looking bags.

“Yeah,” said Lorelai, looking away. “So, I tried talking to Richard about the future. It was weird, he actually seemed to wanna listen. He nodded, he smiled, made all the right noises. It really felt like I was getting through to him.”

“But?” Luke prompted the moment she paused.

“But I should’ve known better,” she explained, heaving a sigh. “The truth is, my dad might listen to what I want and say that he gets it, but he doesn’t. He still thinks the best thing for me is to marry Christopher, probably because my mom’s brain-washed him into believing it, or maybe it was his mom, I don’t know,” she said, sighing now more time. “His second choice is for me to stay home, raise my kid the same way I was raised, and later, hopefully, reclaim my place in society and marry some guy that doesn’t mind the idea of another man’s child.”

“Was there a third choice?” asked Luke hopefully, though the look on his face suggested he already knew the answer.

“Nope,” said Lorelai, popping the p. “It’s pretty much his rules or get out. Not that he ever said ‘get out’ but it was kind of implied, and it was the only option that appealed actually. So, I packed my bags again, and I left, again, with a note on the table, again. Difference is this time I am 100% not going back there,” she said definitely. “I came straight here, blew a big chunk of change I had saved on the cab fare just so I didn’t have to struggle with the luggage, and I was really hoping to talk to your dad about his offer from before. You think his friend with the inn will really want me living there and working for her?”

“Mia’s a great person,” said Luke without pause. “If she told Dad she’d help, she will. In fact, we could go over there right now and see her. Dad’s at the store, checking the books and stuff, but I can drive you over, if you want to?”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Lorelai, smiling widely. “You’re very good to me, Luke Danes.”

“Yeah, well. You’d do the same for me,” he said, reaching for her bags.

“Absolutely,” said Lorelai nodding her head. “If you ever get pregnant and run away from home, I am totally there for you.”

Luke rolled his eyes but it was clear he was having a tough time keeping a straight face.

“Get in the truck, crazy girl,” he told her, laughter beginning to take over.

“Yes, sir,” she agreed, heaving herself out of her seat and following him down the driveway.

With Lorelai’s bags stowed away in the back, Luke helped her into the passenger side seat of the truck, something that was no easy feat for a girl who was a little over seven months pregnant. He then ran around to the driver’s side and hopped in beside her, reminding her to fasten her seat-belt if she could.

“So, Liz is back and actually married to her guy,” she said, trying to get the clip of the belt into place and finally managing it. “How’s that going?”

“Don’t ask,” said Luke, starting up the truck. “They’ve been here all of a day and a half and already I feel like I’m going crazy. I mean, it’s great to have Liz back Like you said, at least I know where she is and that she’s doing okay, but it’s still weird seeing her pregnant, and the fact that she’s actually tied herself to that loser Mariano... I want to be happy that she’s happy, I really do, but I can’t help but think...”

“You can’t help but think?” Lorelai prompted when he stopped, almost wishing she hadn’t when she saw the look on his face.

He thought Liz had made a mistake, a big one. Lorelai knew it was true because he had said as much. If she were anybody else, Lorelai was pretty sure Luke would say the same about her. What a mess she had made of her life, falling pregnant at fifteen to a guy that she liked well enough but was never really, truly in love with, not the way people were supposed to be if they were going to get married and spend the rest of their lives together.

“I don’t know,” said Luke eventually. “I guess I just wanted better for Liz than Jimmy Mariano.”

“Uh-huh.” Lorelai nodded.

Though she didn’t entirely believe that was the whole story, she wasn’t about to push. Leaving home to start a new life at sixteen and and seven months pregnant was enough to be dealing with for one day without hearing from Luke that he considered her a fool in any way at all. There were differences between her situation and Liz’s own, that much was true, but there was a bunch of similarities too. Lorelai just didn’t want to think about it right now.

When they arrived at the inn, Luke rushed to help Lorelai down from the truck, just as carefully as he had helped her in. He said they were safe to leave her bags where they were and then walked at her pace into the inn. Lorelai liked the place the moment she laid eyes on it. It had that cute, quaint feeling of Stars Hollow, but it was pretty big and fancy in its way. It also wasn’t lost on Lorelai that the place was called the Independence Inn. Certainly, if this Mia person was as kind and helpful to her as William seemed to think, she was bound to find some real independence herself within these walls.

“Lucas!” said a voice, and suddenly Lorelai saw her friend enveloped in the arms of a kind looking older woman.

She definitely looked like someone’s aunt, which to Lorelai’s mind meant she looked like a mom but a title more glamourous somehow. Immediately, she knew she was meeting Mia.

“Now, this must be Lorelai,” she said, smiling widely. “Welcome to the Independence, my dear.”

“Thank you,” she replied politely. “Er, I’m sorry to just show up like this, but Mr Danes said-”

“Oh, no, don’t you worry about that. I’ve been half expecting you ever since you went back home, you know,” Mia assured her. “William explained everything and I told him, ‘William, if that girl needs a place to go, you just send her my way. I’d be more than happy to help her in any way I can.’”

Lorelai was astounded by the kindness she was shown by Mia. She had been fairly stunned by how quick Mr Danes was to take her in and be kind to her, though she supposed she ought to assume that Luke got his decency from somewhere parental. Still, Mia was a surprise. She talked almost as fast as Lorelai could when she got into the swing, and before Lorelai knew where she was she was being offered a job, a home, and a makeshift family right here.

Though Mia insisted that Lorelai ought to be absolutely sure before she made such a move, leaving her family and her real home and all, she was also just as determined that Lorelai would be safe and happy here if she needed to take refuge at the inn.

“Oh, excuse me,” she said, suddenly checking her watch and standing up from the table. “I just have to disappear for a few minutes to take care of something, but I’ll be back. Order anything you want from the menu, both of you, my treat.”

She walked away then and Lorelai shook her head.

“She is amazing.”

“Yeah, Mia’s pretty special,” Luke agreed, checking out what he might get to eat while they were waiting. “She just really cares about people.”

“Apparently. She only just met me and I feel like I want her to adopt me.”

“She probably would if she could.” Luke smiled. “Still, what she said about you being sure-”

“I am sure, Luke,” said Lorelai, her hand covering his on the table. “I had to get out of that house and I really, really cannot go back. Thanks to you and your dad and Mia, I guess I don’t have to,” she said happily, meeting his gaze.

It was so hard to look away, and yet she knew she ought to. Making eyes at Luke really wasn’t a smart move right now, she doubted it ever would be, but at least he was her friend. She could use all the friends she could get right now. Lorelai may have escaped her home and thankfully had somewhere to run to, but she was no fool. She knew well enough it was not going to be smooth sailing from here on out, not when her parents realised what was going on.


	12. Chapter 12

“I know it’s not much, but it is well on the way to being habitable. I’ve had it all checked out and with a little work it’ll be safe and warm, properly plumbed, with the roof all sealed up tight,” Mia explained as she showed Lorelai around the little house that would someday soon be her home. “Obviously, it will also need a lot of work inside, but I thought you’d probably have your own ideas of what colour to paint the walls and that kind of thing.”

“Sure,” Lorelai agreed, feeling stunned yet. “I’m honestly just grateful to have a place to go. You’ve been so kind.”

“Oh, nonsense,” said Mia, waving a dismissive hand. “It does me good to have young people to fuss over and make plans for. I’m sure William and Lucas have both told you I don’t have any children of my own, so I spend my time spoiling everybody else’s if I possibly can. Besides, I need a little more help around here, and I’m sure you’ll do just fine at earning your keep.”

“Like this?” said Lorelai, gesturing to her oversized belly. “I’m not sure I’m going to be much use for anything for a while yet, but I’m willing to try.”

“Well, there’s always plenty of tasks that need attending to that you can do sitting down. It won’t be exciting, that’s for sure, folding napkins and refilling salt shakers for the dining room, stuffing envelopes, double-checking the room designations in the book maybe, but in time, when that baby comes along and you’ve got your strength back, we can get you trained up as a maid, or a waitress if you’d rather.”

“I really don’t mind what I do. I just need somewhere to live and some money to keep this little girl right here,” she said, her hand rubbing her pregnant stomach. “I know I could’ve stayed home but it just wasn’t working out. I don’t think there’s a way it ever could.”

She had given Mia the full speech, all her reasons for leaving home and everything, the complete run down on her relationship with her parents, and her relationship with Christopher too, which at this point was pretty much non-existent, truth be told. She took it all way better than Lorelai expected, not trying to convince her to go home and try again or anything, though she did ensure she had thought it all through before she allowed her to stay.

Until the potting shed was properly fixed up into a real house, Lorelai would be staying inside the inn. Mia had allowed her use of what she called the emergency room, one they rarely had guests staying in since it was really too small, and right next to the staff rest room. Lorelai didn’t mind at all. She had a safe, warm place to sleep, a job to do, and a future she could feel good about. Sure, she was going to have to work her ass off and raising her baby alone would not be at all easy, but then, Lorelai considered, she really wasn’t alone.

“Hello, Lucas!” Mia called suddenly, causing Lorelai to turn in the same direction her new friend was facing. “What are you doing here at this time?”

“It’s my half day at the store,” Luke explained as he walked over at a pace, a toolbox swinging from his hand. “I thought I could come over and help out with fixing up the shed. Anything I can do is money and time saved on hiring construction guys, right?”

“Oh, Lucas, you are such a sweetheart,” said Mia, reaching to grasp him by the shoulders. “Honestly, you’re just as sweet as you are handsome, young man. Isn’t he, Lorelai?”

“Sure,” she agreed, nodding her head.

It was unlike Lorelai to blush. She hadn’t thought it was possible anymore and yet her cheeks were clearly burning as she felt Luke’s eyes on her. Must be the hormones, she reckoned, that was all. She walked around the shed that would soon be her home, a pace behind Mia, as the inn owner explained what Luke could do if he really wanted to help.

“Now, I’m afraid I need to get back to work,” she said at last, clapping her hands together. “Lorelai, we’ll begin finding you things to do tomorrow when you’ve had a chance to settle in. In the meantime, you just keep an eye on our handy man here and make sure he doesn’t do any damage to your new house,” she told her with a wink.

Lorelai laughed and shook her head as she watched Mia walk away. She had hardly noticed that Luke had moved until he spoke.

“She really likes you,” he said, so close behind Lorelai that she was sure she felt the words more than heard them, causing her to shiver in the best way.

“Yeah, she does. I don’t know if I deserve her being so nice to me, but I’ll take it,” she admitted, turning to look at him. “I always depended on the kindness of strangers,” she said in a real Southern belle voice.

Luke rolled his eyes. “You’re a little nutty, you know that, right?”

“Hey, that’s one of my best qualities,” she countered.

“I never said it wasn’t.” Luke smiled. “So, you’re really gonna live here, huh? In the old potting shed?”

“It won’t be a shed when I live in it, it’ll be a home. Our own little house on the... grass,” she said, realising at the last minute that she almost said ‘prairie’ and that just didn’t work.

“Our?” Luke echoed, eyes widening some.

“Sure. Me and my baby girl.” Lorelai nodded, hand on her belly.

“Oh, sure. Yeah, I knew that.”

He muttered something about getting on with some work then and Lorelai watched him disappear around the corner of the shed. She bit her lip and sighed. Luke couldn’t really have thought she was suggesting that he might be living with her. That’d be all kinds of crazy. Strange then that when she pictured a possible future in her head, he was almost always there.

Lorelai was fully aware that it made no sense, pairing herself up with a nice guy like Luke. He was a great friend, the best actually, but she couldn’t expect him to want to be with her like a boyfriend or whatever. She was sixteen and pregnant by another guy. He was twenty already, with a steady job in his father’s store, a family that he actually belonged to. It would never work, it couldn’t, but Lorelai couldn’t help thinking, as she stared into what would soon be her new home, that it was a real pretty daydream all the same.

* * *

Luke considered it a real miracle that Lorelai’s plan to leave home had actually come off. He knew even she was surprised to have gotten away with it. Technically speaking, her parents had every right to demand she come home and stay there. After all, by law, she was a minor, no matter her state of pregnancy or whatever else. Sure, she could go for emancipation, but they would contest ot and they had never really done anything so awful to her like beat her or anything so nasty. Luke really had expected more of a fight from the great Emily and Richard Gilmore, but it never came.

Somehow, the combined forces of Mia, and his own father, William, seemed to have beat the Gilmores into submission with great promises and rational arguments alone. They vowed to be there for Lorelai, to supply her a job, a home, and a make-shift family between them, as well as assuring Emily and Richard that if ever there was some emergency or big news to report and Lorelai was unable to tell them herself, they would keep the parents informed.

Luke had a feeling it was more Lorelai’s father than her mother that had decided they were giving in. He never met either of them himself, just saw them in passing as they came to the inn to meet with Mia and William, and then left again. Still, Richard looked like the reality of the situation was finally sinking in, that he might even feel a little sorry for his part in driving Lorelai away. Emily showed no such signs of remorse and looked exactly as Lorelai described her, hard and snobby.

It was two weeks now since Mia had taken Lorelai into the inn as a live-in employee as well as a new friend. In that time, the potting shed had all the work done it really needed to make it safe and decent, including plumbing and electrics. The last two evenings, after work, Luke had come over with paint that Lorelai picked out and William donated to the cause. He decorated the interior of the place no longer to be known as the potting shed but instead to be seen only as the home of Lorelai Gilmore and in a few short weeks, her baby daughter too.

“I wasn’t expecting you back again today,” said Lorelai as she saw Luke striding across the grass towards her ‘house.’ “I’ve had the door and windows open all day and the paint smell is pretty much gone,” she told him happily.

“That’s good. Today I have a surprise for you,” said Luke, grinning wide. “Well, it’s not a surprise from me, I’m helping with it but... come on, I’ll show you,” he said, tilting his head back the way he had come.

“I’m with you, Danes,” she said, putting her hand into his and following him as quickly as she could manage in her present condition.

Luke tried not to react too much to the fact they were now holding hands. Lorelai was that kind of person, the type to hug and touch and all. He hadn’t really been raised to be that way, but then he doubted she had either, given the way her parents were. Now he was over-thinking it, Luke was well aware of that, so he stopped and concentrated on the matter at hand.

“So, the folks in Stars Hollow, they can be pretty nosey and full of gossip and everything, but sometimes, it pays off,” he explained as they neared his father’s truck parked on the edge of the inn’s lot. “Everything in here, it’s yours, if you want it.”

When he pulled the tarp aside, Lorelai’s eyes went wide at the sight that met her eyes. Furniture of all kinds was laid out in the truck, mostly the smaller pieces like lamps, dining room type chairs, and a couple of night stands. Not a thing matched, but that didn’t matter. Lorelai could hardly believe that people would be so generous and for a young woman they really didn’t know at all.

“Luke,” she gasped. “Are you serious?”

“About all this being for you? Sure,” he promised her. “Now, if there’s anything you really don’t want, don’t worry. I can take it away, get rid of it where nobody will know. Of course, even the things you do like will probably need cleaning or fixing or whatever, but we can-”

He stopped speaking very suddenly as Lorelai threw her arms around him. Any kind of hug was not an easy feat where she was concerned, not with her pregnant belly sticking out as far as it currently was. Still, Luke couldn’t mind having her hold onto him at all. In fact, he kind of loved it. His eyes fell shut as he hugged her back, breathing in the smell of her hair and marvelling at the feel of her so close to him. It was only gratitude and not even all for him, but he couldn’t help but enjoy the moment for as long as it lasted. He might never get another like this with her.

“Thank you, Luke,” she said so softly he barely heard.

When she looked up at him, it was with what he hoped were happy tears in her eyes.

“You’re welcome,” he told her, unable to help himself as he brushed away one lone tear that streaked down her face, “but you know, I just brought it here. It was the town that donated everything.”

“Then tell them all thank you for me, please,” she urged him, unable to find much of her voice right now, and not just because her throat had turned thick with emotion.

Luke would help her move all the funiture into her home, but he wasn’t staying. These last few days in particular, Lorely had begun to relies how much she would welcome Luke moving himself in amongst everything else, but that would be impossible. If this was his kid she was carrying, that might just simple things up in some ways. On the other hand, Lorelai wasn’t even convinced that would help.

“Um, we should get moving with all this stuff,” she said, very suddenly moving away. “Those clouds are getting darker. I don’t want anything getting wet.”

“Right, sure,” said Luke, snapping himself out of a daze. “You’re not carrying anything anyway, not in your condition,” he told her then as he moved to let down the tailgate.

“Lucas, I can carry a table lamp,” she told him, mock-crossly.

“Do not call me Lucas,” he reminded her, though he didn’t look quite as mad about it as he might’ve with anybody else, and they both knew it.


	13. Chapter 13

Luke heard the yelling through the open windows long before he reached the house. Liz’s voice was unmistakable and Jimmy was hardly being any less vocal. They had been living in the Danes house for a the better part of a month now and the fights were getting worse and more numerous of late. Luke hated it all.

It might’ve been a smart plan to just turn around and walk away again, but he really needed to get into the house and retrieve the keys to the truck before he could head out again. Besides, Luke ought to see if he couldn’t help calm the situation down between his sister and brother-in-law before Dad got home. This was the place he needed to be, but Luke was pretty sure it was not going to be any fun dealing with this particular situation. Between Liz and Jimmy was no place to be.

“What is your problem, Jimmy?!”

“Right now, you’re my problem!”

Luke winced at the part of the exchange he heard as he came in, then started to get mad at Mariano for saying such things to his sister. Not that he didn’t understand how Liz could be problematic, because Luke absolutely did, but it was the principle of the thing.

“Oh my God, like you’re such a saint!”

“I’m not the one smoking pot while you’re pregnant!”

Luke’s eyes went wide at that remark. He wasn’t stupid, he knew Liz smoked and that it wasn’t always cigarettes either, but he thought she would’ve put all that aside when she fell pregnant. God only knew what it was doing to the baby. Suddenly, he felt himself switching sides in this fight. Not that he wanted to be part of it at all, but honestly, what choice did he have?

With one foot on the bottom step of the stairs, Luke changed his mind about rushing up there when Jimmy started coming down at a heck of a speed, Liz yelling in his wake.

“You’re an asshole, Jimmy Mariano! A judgmental, stupid asshole!”

Jimmy opened his mouth to yell something equally as nasty back, no doubt, but when he saw Luke he changed his mind.

“Trouble in paradise?” asked his brother-in-law with a look.

“Your sister is crazy sometimes,” said Jimmy definitely.

“Only sometimes?” Luke rolled his eyes. “Is she really smoking up there?” he said with particular emphasis.

“Nah, not in the house. She knows better. Knows your dad or you would lose it.”

“She’s not wrong.”

“Yeah, but I can always tell when she’s been on the grass. She promised she’d stop when we found out about the baby. Neither of us have touched the stuff since then. Well, until now, apparently.”

Luke nodded his head, not knowing what to say. He could yell at Liz just the same as Jimmy had, but they both knew it wouldn’t do any good. She just didn’t listen, always thought she knew best. Probably the best thing right now would be to leave her alone to cool off and deal with this whole mess later.

“I’m heading over to Hartford,” said Luke, looking up at Jimmy a couple of stairs up still. “Miracle of all miracles, the Gilmores have agreed to let us pick up some things that Lorelai couldn’t carry out when she left home.”

“You leaving now?”

“Just going.” Luke nodded.

“You need a hand?”

Luke stared at Jimmy for a beat or two. It wouldn’t hurt to have help in case anything proved heavier or more awkward than expected to carry, he supposed.

“Yeah, okay. Thanks,” he said eventually, nodding his head. “Let’s go.”

Usually, the last person Luke wanted helping him was Liz’s waste-of-space husband. Of course, he took it as something that the guy even offered to come and be useful, though it was probably just because of his fight with Liz. Luke doubted it was his conscience pricking him, despite the fact neither Jimmy nor Liz had any money to pay towards rent and were still living in her old room yet.

“So, you think these Gilmores will really be cool with us just taking all this stuff?” Jimmy asked as they climbed into the truck.

“It should be fine,” Luke explained. “Lorelai wrote a list, they got a copy and so did we, so there’ll be no accusing us of taking what we shouldn’t or anything.”

“Cool.”

They set off then, Luke flipping on the radio before he drove away. Anything so that Jimmy wouldn’t continue to try and make conversation, and yet, it didn’t seem the music was going to stop him. He started tapping out the rhythm of the song on the dash, tapping his feet too, then he turned to the driver’s side so suddenly that Luke actually jumped in his seat.

“You really don’t like me, do you?”

“You really want me to answer that?” Luke snapped, checking both ways at the intersection before moving forward towards Hartford.

“I get it, I do,” Jimmy insisted. “I mean, you got that whole protective big brother thing going on for Lizzie, but you know, I love her, man. I honestly do. Even when she’s driving me nuts like today,” he admitted with a crooked smile. “It’s just kinda crazy, us having a kid and all. I’m still tryin’ to wrap my head around it and the kid is practically here already. I so didn’t see that coming.”

“It’s not tough to learn, Jimmy,” said Luke coolly. “You have sex, the girl can get pregnant.”

“I know that,” he insisted rolling his eyes. “I’m not stupid.”

Luke bit his tongue so hard it hurt just so he didn’t respond to that particular remark. It so wasn’t worth it. He had managed to be civil to Jimmy the last couple of weeks and the guy hadn’t really done anything objectionable since living in the house, except not pay rent or anything, obviously. Plus, he was the one trying to keep Liz in line with regard to her smoking habit, that wasn’t nothing.

“It just all happened so fast. I mean, I want to be with Liz, and marrying her... I guess we would’ve done that sometime anyway, but it’s... it’s really fast,” said Jimmy, shaking his head. “Gotta be even tougher for Lorelai though, I guess. What happened to her guy anyway?”

“That’s nobody’s business but Lorelai’s,” said Luke, concentrating as much as possible on his driving.

He didn’t need to give the road quite that much attention but he wanted to. The only topic of conversation he liked less than Liz and Jimmy’s relationship was anything that reminded him that Lorelai’s baby was also the mysterious Christopher’s child. Somehow it was easier to imagine that Lorelai was the second immaculate conception even if that was ridiculous. Her being a mother soon, Luke could handle that, but thinking about the fact there was a father that wasn’t him, a boyfriend that wasn’t him, any guy in Lorelai’s life that she might’ve loved or been close to that wasn’t him, Luke really couldn’t stand it.

Thankfully, Jimmy got distracted by the radio and kept quiet for the rest of the trip. At the Gilmore house, a maid let the two of them in and kept an eye on them as the removed the items from Lorelai’s room that she had requested. They never saw Emily or Richard, though Luke did have to sign a piece of paper before he left, confirming just exactly what he had taken away.

As he and Jimmy tied the last of the furniture safely into the back of the truck, Luke glanced up at the house and saw a curtain twitch, a flash of red hair visible for a moment and then just as quickly gone. Shaking his head, Luke got back into the truck and told Jimmy to move his ass already because they needed to go. Luke hoped he never had to come to this place again. He hoped Lorelai never had to either.

The journey to the inn was quiet too, which was a blessed relief. Actually, as they neared the Independence, Luke was almost glad his brother-in-law had come along for the ride. Being alone with Lorelai, it was as painful as it was pleasant of late. There were a million scenarios that would’ve fixed the situation. If she wasn’t pregnant it would help. If she was a couple of years older too and maybe not the daughter of a stuck-up Hartford family. Luke knew as things were, he and Lorelai couldn’t really be anything more than friends, and yet...

“She’s living in a shed?” asked Jimmy as Luke pulled up on the far side of the parking lot, in view of Lorelai who waved to them from the doorway of her new home.

“It used to be a potting shed,” he explained. “Now it’s a house.”

“A real small house,” Jimmy noted.

Luke declined to answer, just got out of the truck and assumed his brother-in-law would do the same. They started to take boxes from the back, Luke getting a weird sense of deja vu as he did so. Last time he was here, unloading the truck for Lorelai, they had gotten so close. He had seriously considered kissing her, as crazy as that seemed in the circumstances. A part of him wondered if she backed off because she knew that and didn’t want him to make that move. The other part was sure she hadn’t a clue how he really felt and that was probably for the best anyway.

Lorelai met the guys half way between the truck and the house. She thanked them for helping with collecting her things, confirmed from Luke that they had no trouble with her parents and then seemed satisfied. Well, at least for five minutes.

“Oh, I need one other favour,” she told Luke, clapping her hands together. “It is teeny, tiny, I swear!”

“What is it?” he asked her, rolling his eyes, and yet smiling also.

Lorelai walked over to the cabinet in the far corner, made a big deal with her arms like she was about to present a prize on The Price Is Right, then swung the cabinet door open, which promptly dangled from one hinge.

“I can fix that,” he assured her, “but I’ll have to see if Mia has a screwdriver. My tools are at home. I’ll be right back”

He was headed out the door just as Jimmy was about to walk in. When Jimmy realised Luke was headed off in a direction that wasn’t the truck, he frowned.

“It’s okay,” Lorelai assured him. “Luke’s just getting tools to fix the cabinet.”

“Cool.” Jimmy nodded, placing down the box he had just brought in, then promptly leaving again.

He went back and forth three times as Lorelai sat in the chair, watching him do so. Jimmy said not a word as he came and went over and over, until it finally drove Lorelai crazy. She was waiting closer to the door the next time Jimmy came in and pretty much leapt at him as soon as she saw him.

“You okay?” she asked curiously.

“Sure,” he told her shortly.

“Don’t talk much, huh?”

Jimmy shook his head and smiled a lop-sided smile.

“Sorry. Not havin’ the best day.”

“Is Liz okay?” asked Lorelai, genuinely concerned that something might be wrong.

“We had a fight.” Jimmy admitted. “A big one.”

Lorelai nodded in understanding then headed back to her chair, pulling up another mismatched seat beside it.

“You wanna talk about it?”

Jimmy looked like he was giving her offer way more consideration than the question really required, then he sighed and came to sit down. Everybody needed someone to talk to and Lorelai had to think Jimmy was severly lacking in friends here. If he and Liz were at odds, he was unlikely to get any sympathy from Luke or William, and there really wasn’t anybody else, except maybe Lorelai.

“You smoke, Lorelai?” he asked her very suddenly.

“Nope. Never did,” she said truthfully. “Well, I tried a cigarette once, didn’t like it much. I certainly would’ve given it up now even if I did do it before, which I didn’t.”

“Liz smokes. Not just cigarettes.”

Lorelai winced.

“Yeah, Luke mentioned that once,” she admitted, “but she’s not still-”

“Oh, yeah.” Jimmy nodded. “She is.”

“Hence the fight.”

“It’s not just about that. The whole having a kid thing... I don’t have to tell you, it’s a big deal.”

“The biggest,” Lorelai agreed with a wry smile, one hand going absently to her stomach, “but hey, at least there are two of you. You’re married, you love each other, right?”

“Sure, yeah.”

“It’s a good start,” said Lorelai, trying not to sound jealous.

She forgot all her own feelings when she noticed how nervous Jimmy looked right now. Somehow she doubted she was causing that reaction. No, this was about him and Liz, and more over, the kid they were going to have. At least Lorelai could sympathise with that particular brand of panic.

“Hey, you’re allowed to be freaked out,” she told Jimmy, her hand briefly on his shoulder. “I know the guy gets told he’s had the easy job, but you’re still gonna be a parent and that’s a huge deal.”

“I guess.” Jimmy nodded, trying for a smile and failing. “Sometimes I think... You’re gonna think I’m a heel, but sometimes I think it’d be easier if I just took off,” he admitted, running both hands over his face. “I’m not good enough for her or cut out to be a father. I mean, Liz has her dad and Luke.”

“Yeah, she does,” Lorelai agreed, moving a little so she could better get his attention, “but Jimmy? She chose you,” she said pointedly just as soon as he met her eyes. “That’s a huge deal.”

“You chose the guy who got your pregnant, right? Where’s he now?”

“That’s a little different.” Lorelai shrugged. “You’re married, you just told me you love each other.”

“We do,” Jimmy agreed, in spite of everything else. “Even when we fight, we still do.”

“Then stay and prove it. I mean, if you really wanna run, I can’t stop you. It’s not my place to try, but do you really wanna be the guy that runs out on his wife and kid?” she asked him. “Isn’t that a crappier husband and father than the one that stays and tries, even if he screws up once in a while?”

Lorelai wasn’t sure where all the great wisdom came from, save for the fact she had been thinking a lot lately about her own life, her parents, her child, not to mention the Danes family as a whole. Strangely, she thought very little about Christopher, but it wasn’t her life she was trying to figure out or help to fix right now, it was Jimmy’s.

“Got the screwdriver,” said Luke as he came back into the house, looking confused by the sight of Lorelai and Jimmy all cosy. “You okay?” he asked, looking from one to the other and back.

“Sure.” Lorelai nodded, smiling brightly as ever. “No problems here, right, Jimmy?” she asked him pointedly.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. We’re cool,” he said then. “Thanks, Lorelai.” 

He patted her knee as he got up, muttering about the last couple of boxes in the truck as he left. Luke didn’t bother asking him or Lorelai for any further explanation. Somehow, he didn’t think he would get one that made sense anyway.


	14. Chapter 14

Luke called the inn when it happened. She was actually in Mia’s office at the time, alphabetising old receipts and such, one amongst a hundred other little tasks her new boss seemed to have magicked up from somewhere just for her. Lorelai didn’t care. It was mindless work, but it was work. She was earning some money and putting her best foot forward, well, as much as her pregnancy would allow. Her daughter was due to be born in four weeks, but Liz’s son was already well on the way.

“Are you okay, honey?” asked Mia, clearly having noticed Lorelai had stopped shuffling papers around some time ago.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine.” Lorelai nodded, forcing a smile as she went back to her work. “Sorry, I was just... thoughtful, I guess.”

“I imagine Liz is on your mind as much as she’s on mine,” said Mia, closing up her ledger and letting out a sigh. “Of course, it’s very different for you. Here I am wondering how this little blonde angel I used to know has grown up enough to be married and actually giving birth to a child of her own as we speak, whereas you, well, I suppose you’re thinking about your own happy event that’s coming up soon.”

“Something like that.” Lorelai nodded again, one hand going absently to her ever-expanding bump. “It’s so weird. I’ve been carrying her all this time, almost eight months. She’s a part of me and somehow I already love her, even though I can’t meet her yet, and I want to meet her but at the same time... at the same time, I’m almost afraid to.”

“Oh, honey, now why would you be afraid of that?” asked Mia, moving from her chair to the edge of the desk nearer to Lorelai.

“I don’t know. A baby’s a pretty crazy thing to be afraid of, especially when it’s your own kid, right?”

“I suppose so.” Mia smiled. “Though of course, I wouldn’t actually know for sure.”

Lorelai looked away, feeling bad. It wasn’t as if she was saying she didn’t want her baby because she did. She had her chance to get rid of the kid if she wanted to and she absolutely didn’t want that at all. This was her daughter, her flesh and blood, a part of her, just like she’d said. Still, saying anything even mildly anti-parenthood to a person who would love to have been blessed and never was, it seemed so wrong.

“Does the birth bother you, Lorelai?” asked Mia gently, her hand at her the young girl’s hair, pushing it gently back over her shoulder.

“Some,” she admitted. “I mean, you’d have to be a freak to be looking forward to that kind of pain, right?”

“I guess so,” Mia agreed with a smile at the phrasing, “but think of what you have to look forward to after that. I’m not saying it won’t be hard work, most things worth having in life are, but you’re going to be a mother, Lorelai. You’re going to have a daughter to love and to cherish for the rest of your life.”

“I know.” Lorelai smiled too, because she did actually love that idea, it was just there had been a lot of things in her life that seemed so great in theory and then turned out to be not quite what they might’ve been in reality. “You think she’ll love me?”

“Now, what kind of a question is that?” asked Mia with wide eyes. “She’s your daughter, Lorelai, why on earth wouldn’t she love you?”

“Okay, so a better question, do you think she’ll like me? I mean, I love my parents and I know they love me, strange as that sounds after everything that’s happened, but they don’t always like me and I can’t always like them. I’d hate for my kid to grow up resenting me. Like, what if she’s not so psyched about our new house as I am, or what if she wishes she lived with Christopher instead of me?”

Her eyes started to fill with tears as she thought about all these scenarios that would be so painful to endure. Mia had her arms around her in a second, bringing the kind of comfort a mother might as she shushed her and told her to dry her tears.

“Lorelai, sweetheart, there are no guarantees with family. There are few enough in life at all,” she told her gently, “but so long as you do your best by this baby of yours, I can’t imagine she will do anything but love you and grow up to be an amazing young woman, just like her mommy.”

Lorelai smiled through a veil of tears as she looked up at her friend then.

“You’re the best, Mia,” she told her seriously. “The absolute best.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” she said, as the two of the hugged it out. “I just like to help people is all, and you need that help. Besides, as much as I’d love to take credit, we never would’ve met at all if it wasn’t for those wonderful Danes men.”

“They’re the best too,” Lorelai agreed, happily accepting the wad of tissue that Mia fetched for her in the next moment. “Running into Luke that day, it changed my life. Pretty crazy because I thought nothing could be as big of a change as finding out I was pregnant but... but he was just such a great friend, from the very first second, and he’s never stopped. His father too. They’re just the nicest guys I ever met.”

“I won’t argue with that,” said Mia definitely. “William and I go back years and years, though it was Luke’s mother, Rose, who I knew first. We were very good friends, you know, when we were even younger than you are now. And Lucas. Oh, when he came along they were both so proud of their boy, and when they asked me to be his godmother, I couldn’t have been prouder either. He’s certainly grown up onto a fine young man. If anyone is the absolute best, it’s Lucas.”

Lorelai looked down at her hands in her lap, now starting the shred the tissue that was fit to fall apart as it was, it was so soaked. She felt weird talking about how great Luke was, not because she didn’t agree entirely with what Mia was saying, but more perhaps because she wanted to agree a little too much.

“He’s done so much for me,” she said softly. “Especially with the house. That place is so far from a potting shed now, you’d never know it wasn’t always supposed to be a home.”

“It was very sweet of him to do so much,” Mia agreed. “He saved me quite a lot of money on labour, though I’m not so sure it was me he was particularly trying to help.”

Lorelai shook her head and looked away again. She missed the pain in Mia’s expression, the almost guilty look that passed over her face.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Have I said something I shouldn’t?” she checked, getting Lorelai’s attention back in a moment. “I had thought... well, I assumed, I suppose, which is always dangerous, but do you not feel the same way for Lucas that he does for you?”

Her mouth opened and closed three times without any words coming. That was new for Lorelai. She almost always knew what to say, and if she had no sensible words, that never stopped her. Better to say absolute nonsense that nothing at all, that was practically the motto she lived by, and yet right now, she couldn’t find the words, though she tried very hard to do so.

“He’s... Honestly, Luke is practically my best friend lately. I don’t have any others, except for you and Mr Danes and some of the people around here, but people my own age, friends you hang out with and... well, you know what I mean, right?”

“I know what you mean,” Mia promised her.

“Well, out of everybody I know, Luke is my best friend, and I love that he is. I wouldn’t change that for anything, except for the part where I kind of do want to change it. I can’t change it, I know I can’t. It’d be impossible and ridiculous. We’re talking epic levels of insane. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and then some, but... but I dream about it. I actually dream it.”

“You dream... about Lucas?”

“About me and Luke, yeah, and the baby, in the little house on the lawn,” she said it all with a smile on her face as the picture formed in her mind, as clear as the dreams she’d had both asleep and awake. “It could’ve been that way, in another time and place. If Luke was the father, if we knew each other before, and things were different but... but they’re not different.”

Lorelai felt her face crumble as the pretty mind-picture did the same. It was a nice idea but it didn’t work, it couldn’t possibly. There was just no way.

“Lorelai, darling,” said Mia, moving close to her again and putting an arm around her shoulders. “Does Lucas know how you feel?”

“No!” Lorelai scoffed. “I’m not telling him either. I know he likes me and that he’s the kind of guy who would totally stand up and be a man, take on somebody else’s kid, whatever. He’s that guy, I know he is, but I can’t. I can’t ask him to do that.”

“Even if he wanted to? And I’m not saying he definitely does,” said Mia carefully. “I know Lucas well but he has a mind of his own, plus it would be a very big decision to make, but if he did want to?”

“I still wouldn’t let him.” Lorelai shook her head. “It wouldn’t be fair. You know, Christopher offered to marry me, before his parents and mine even suggested it. He would’ve done the right thing by me and if anyone should it ought to be the guy that helped make the kid, but I said no. It’s not that I don’t love him, though I’m pretty sure I don’t love him enough to do the ‘till death us do part’ thing,” she admitted sadly. “It’s more... it’s that I want him to have his life the way he wants it.

“If he married me and helped raise the baby, it would be because he felt like he should, and it’d be the same with Luke, even if he tried to deny it. They both feel like they owe me something and I don’t want that. I chose to keep this baby to raise her any way I could, the best way I could. That’s on me. I’m not dragging anyone else into it, whether they come willingly or not.”

When she was done talking, Lorelai watched Mia, wondering why she wasn’t saying anything to her. It was so strange. She didn’t look mad or sad or anything like that. She was smiling and yet there were tears shimmering in her eyes suddenly. Lorelai couldn’t quite understand it.

“Well,” said Mia eventually. “That was quite the speech, young lady, and if I hadn’t been sure before what a wonderful mother you’ll make, I’m perfectly certain of it now.”

Lorelai smiled at that, she couldn’t help it. It was maybe the best compliment she’d gotten in a very long time. By that point, she and Mia both needed tissues to clean up their faces and that was what they were doing when a knock came on the door all out of the blue.

“Come in,” Mia called.

Luke came bursting in before she had hardly finished speaking and Lorelai gasped at the sight of him. She turned her face back to her work so he wouldn’t see how awful she must look after all the crying.

“Lucas, is everything alright?” asked Mia, back on her feet in an instant “How’s your sister?”

“She’s just fine. She had the baby.” Luke grinned at his old friend. “I’m officially an uncle.”

“Oh, wonderful!” said Mia, hugging him tightly.

“Congratulations,” said Lorelai, finding a smile, though she could tell when she looked at Luke that it couldn’t have been a very convincing one.

“Hey, are you okay?” he checked, letting go of Mia to come crouch by Lorelai’s chair. “You don’t look so good.”

“Yes, Lucas, that is exactly the way to charm a young lady,” said Mia, rolling her eyes.

“I’m fine,” Lorelai assured him. “I’m just tired and emotional. It’s a whole pregnancy hormone thing, I guess.”

“That and you’ve probably been concentrating on that paperwork far too long,” Mia told her firmly. “Now you go along back to your little house and take a rest. In fact, I’m going to insist that Lucas escort you like a gentleman should after making such a comment about your looks.”

“I didn’t-” he began before he saw the smirk on Mia’s lips. “I’ll walk her over,” he assured her, looking more than happy to do so, even if he hadn’t been ordered to.

Lorelai struggled out of the chair that she had probably been sitting in too long and then allowed Luke to help her into her jacket. She said goodnight to Mia and thanked her before they left.

“You’re thanking her on a daily basis for giving you work?” asked Luke as they got out into the hall.

“No, doofus” said Lorelai, rolling her eyes. “She was just... well, I needed someone to talk to and she was there.”

“Oh, okay.” Luke nodded. “Well, you know you can always talk to me, right?”

“Sure, but this was woman stuff.”

They walked together in companionable silence for a while, out through the main doors and around the building. They were maybe half way to Lorelai’s little house before she remembered she should probably ask some more about Liz’s baby.

“So, Liz has a son. Did she name him yet?”

“Er, she got it down to three possibilities. I’d tell them to you but you’d laugh.”

“Today, I could use a good laugh. Hit me,” said Lorelai happily.

“Okay, so Corey...”

“That’s not so bad.”

“...Sting...”

“Wow, okay.”

“...or Jess.”

“Huh. That I could like,” said Lorelai thoughtfully.

“Really?”

“Sure, why not?”

“It’s a girl’s name,” Luke told her definitely.

Lorelai rolled her eyes.

“No, Jessica is a girl’s name. Jess is, sort of, cool. It’d be cute for a kid and then kind of manly when he’s older. I like it,” she said, nodding her head firmly.

“Well, when we go see Liz you can tell her that,” said Luke, shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked along.

“We’re going?”

“Oh, she asked me to bring you to the hospital,” Luke explained. “She wants the baby to meet, and I quote, ‘Auntie Lorelai.’”

It was so stupid and she knew it, but for some reason that brought on a fresh bout of tears and Lorelai couldn’t help it. She quickly brought a hand up to her face to wipe them away, trying to do it without Luke noticing, but apparently she just wasn’t stealthy enough.

“Aaw, geez. Did I do that?” he asked, looking terribly guilty.

“No.” Lorelai shook her head and sniffed hard. “Well, yeah, but it’s not your fault. It’s not Liz’s either for the record. She’s really stuck on us as a couple, huh?”

“Apparently,” Luke agreed. “She’s crazy.”

“All kinds of crazy,” Lorelai agreed, simply because she knew she must.

They were almost to the house now, and Luke stopped walking before they quite reached the door. Lorelai had gotten two steps ahead, not realising he had come to a halt until he spoke from behind her.

“Of course, not everything she says is completely crazy.”

Lorelai closed her eyes and forced a breath through her lungs. When she turned around there was a look on Luke’s face that she loved and hated all at the same time. She knew what he meant, it was so damn obvious, but this was such a bad idea. She had just said as much to Mia and she meant every word.

“Luke,” she said with a sigh. “Please, don’t.”

“Don’t, what?” he asked, moving to stand right in front of her, still wearing that expression that said too much.

“Don’t look at me like that or say what I think you’re going to say,” Lorelai urged him. “Just please, don’t.”

“You don’t think it’s about time one of us said something?” he asked her in earnest. “It’s starting to feel like all we ever do is avoid the subject of... well, us.”

“There is no us, Luke,” said Lorelai, snatching her hand away when he reached for it. “There’s you and there’s me, but there’s no us, not that way.”

“There’s not now,” he agreed, “but come on, Lorelai, neither of us are stupid. You know how I feel about you, don’t you?” he asked, a gentle hand at her cheek making her meet his eyes.

“Probably,” she agreed, swallowing hard.

“And?”

“And I’m pretty sure you know how I feel about you too” she told him, feeling like she wanted to cry all over again but the tears had all dried up after the last time - there was nothing left to give, “but Luke, it can’t happen. You and me, it’s not... it’s not how it’s supposed to be.”

“Really? ‘Cause that not the way it feels from where I’m standing,” he told her honestly. “Look, I’m not a romantic guy, Lorelai. I’m not the type to sweep a girl off her feet or make some fancy speech about how in love he is, but... well, I care about you. I want to be with you. I... I love you and I can love your daughter too, you know I can.”

“Yes,” Lorelai choked out. “Yes, Luke, I do know that you can, that you probably do, and you have no idea how easy it would be for me to just let this happen,” she admitted, leaning into his touch. “You are the best guy, the absolute best, you know that? If I didn’t care so much about you this would actually be easier, but I do care, a lot. I can’t do that to you, Luke. I won’t.”

“Do what to me?” he began to ask, but she had already slipped away from him, turning to go into the house. “Lorelai!”

“No. Please, Luke,” she said, glancing back. “You have so much going on. You have this life, this family, and you have a future right now. I’m not letting you throw that all away for me.”

“That’s crazy talk,” he insisted, moving up behind her.

He put his hand on the door and leaned his weight so it wouldn’t open no matter how hard she tried. They weren’t done here, they couldn’t be. This was not how this was supposed to go, not in Luke’s mind.

“Fine, then I’m crazy,” said Lorelai, letting go of the door knob since she knew she was fighting a losing battle and making herself face Luke with the truth. “It’s already a popular theory, let’s make it a fact. Lorelai Gilmore is crazy, but at least I’m not a life destroyer this way. I’m not an option, Luke. You and me, it’s a no go. Understand?”

She was yelling at him, right in his face, and she hated herself for it. Still, Lorelai was sure she was doing the right thing. In the end, everything would go wrong. Better to never let anything start rather than see it destroyed further on down the road.

“I get the message,” he told her, having backed up a step from the force with which she declared herself, “but it’s not going to change how I feel, Lorelai, and you’re never going to stop me from caring for you or helping you,” he said firmly. “I want to do it. I’m always going to want to.”

She could’ve let him walk away then. He was supposed to. After all that had been said and done, if she just held her ground, Lorelai was sure Luke would just turn and go any second. Funny then that she was the one that stopped him from doing so. In a moment of madness that she would later blame on hormones and misguided judgement, she pushed herself forward and crashed her lips against his own. One kiss couldn’t do any harm, she supposed, not if it was all there ever was. She could live with keeping him at arm’s length for her sake, his sake, the baby’s sake, in everybody else’s best interest, but she had to have this moment, she just couldn’t help herself.

When they parted from their kiss, their arms were wrapped around each other still, close as they could manage with the baby bump between them. Lorelai gasped in a breath and looked up to meet Luke’s eyes.

“If you want to help me, please go away,” she begged him. “I don’t mean forever, but for now, please. I have to do the right thing, Luke. For once in my stupid life, I have to. So, if you love me like I think you do, please, just let me.”

It seemed insane, after a kiss like that, to say they were done, or more accurately that they were never allowed to begin. Still, Luke wouldn’t cause Lorelai any more tears, not for anything in the world. He meant what he said about loving her about being with her, but if this was how she wanted it, he would do that too. Walking away now wasn’t forever and if it was what she needed, yes, he would do it. Luke just didn’t have the words to say so. He only nodded slowly, planted one last kiss on Lorelai’s forehead and then turned to go.

Lorelai realised there were just a few more tears in her as she watched Luke walk away, but she couldn’t regret what just happened. She had done the right thing, she was sure.


	15. Chapter 15

When a knock came on her door, Lorelai expected it to be one of a couple of people. It would either be Mia checking on her, or there was a chance it could be Mr Danes come to see her little house at last. She had said he was welcome any time when they ran into each other in town a few days ago, but he hadn’t dropped by yet. It made Lorelai wonder what Luke might have told him about her saying they could never be together, though she doubted he had said much. As close as the Danes clan were in some ways, Lorelai really couldn’t imagine ‘Lucas’ having much in the way of a heart-to-heart with his dad. They were both a little too much the manly man type for that.

All this was on Lorelai’s mind as she came to the door and pulled it open, getting a real shock when she saw who was actually standing there on the other side.

“Christopher.”

“Hey, Lor.”

He smiled when he greeted her but it wasn’t a genuinely happy look. Lorelai remembered only too well how he used to smile at her like he meant it, like he would love her forever. Sometimes she felt guilty about that, always knowing that as much as she cared for him, she could never imagine the happily ever after that Chris always seemed to envisage for them. Lorelai never looked past next week if she could help it, because that way, she was never disappointed by not getting whatever she might be looking forward to. Of course, things changed a lot when she fell pregnant.

“How’d you know I was here?” she asked, shaking her head clear of too many thoughts.

“Your parents told me,” Chris explained. “Can I come in?”

Lorelai stepped aside to let him through the door, though it was still kind of squeeze with the entrance being so narrow and Lorelai being so big right now.

“Bet that was a barrel of laughs,” she said of his meeting with her parents. “I’ll bet Emily had all the windows closed and whispered my new address to you, ‘cause Heaven forbid anyone should find out that the great Gilmore heiress is now a heavily pregnant maid that lives in a converted potting shed!” she huffed, letting the door slam shut with a thud.

“Gotta admit, I was a little surprised when they told me you moved out,” said Chris, eyes all over the little place that Lorelai called home, hands shoved so very deep in his pockets. “Then I thought, ‘Hey, this is Lorelai.’ You really wouldn’t be you if you did what anybody expected you to.”

Lorelai smiled at that. She couldn’t help herself.

“That’s actually probably the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in quite a while,” she admitted, going back to her seat and awkwardly lowering herself down into it. “So, you’re back from your vacation.”

“I’m back from my vacation,” he agreed, nodding his head.

He was still standing before her with his hands in his pockets, looking no less awkward than Lorelai remembered him being when she first told him she was pregnant. So much had changed for her in the last six months, and yet for Chris, it was as if no time had passed. He was still sixteen and terrified, where Lorelai felt she had aged a decade and gotten over the worst of her fears. Her life had a direction now, she had a purpose, and it was all so far removed from whatever it was she and Christopher once shared.

“When does college start for you?” she asked in the silence.

“Geez, Lor,” Christopher exclaimed in reply, one hand coming up to rub his forehead. “How can you ask me that?”

“Pretty easily,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I thought of the words, opened my mouth, and there they were, just out there in the air.”

“This is not the time for jokes.”

“Hey, any time is a time for jokes if you have something funny to say,” she countered. “Besides, this is my house. I can make all the jokes I want here.”

He opened his mouth to say something else but then closed it again just as fast. He had nothing. Lorelai and Christopher both knew he hadn’t a clue what to say right now, which begged the question of why did he even bother to come over? It was something Lorelai was curious to know and was about to ask when Chris presumably realised he should just get to the point already and tell her.

“Lor, this is serious,” he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed, since it was really the only other place, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “We’re gonna have a baby, any day now. We have to figure this out.”

Lorelai sighed, inching forward in her seat as she much as she was able, and reached for Chris’ hand.

“Christopher, it’s already figured out,” she told him straight. “See, while your family was taking you away from here and trying to fill your head with whatever they were trying to fill it with, I made some choices of my own. I was not going to do what Emily and Richard wanted me to. I was... I am determined to have my life my way, for my kid as much as for me.

“And I know what you’re going to say. She’s your kid too, and you’re right, she is, biologically anyway, but I’m the one doing the carrying and I’m the one who was here the whole time, so I’ve made the decisions.

“You see, I actually really tried. I thought maybe if I talked things out with Mom and Dad, if I could just make them see things my way, everything would be okay, but you know as well as I do that the listening thing is not so much their strong point. Funny thing is I found other people who would listen and who really, really wanted to help me out.

“There’s this family in town, they’re called the Danes. Nicest people in the world. Seriously, I thought guys like them only existed on TV. They really want to help people and be nice. It’s kind of crazy actually, but I also love it. See, they had an idea what I was going through, because Liz - she’s the daughter in the family - she was going through it too. Eighteen and pregnant, right out of high school, so yeah, it’s a little different, but still. They took me in. They hooked me up with Mia who runs this inn, and then she helped me out too. Got me this house, gave me a job.

“Chris, my life is finally my own and that is amazing to me. I’m not saying everything is perfect and believe me, there is a whole bunch of stuff about having a kid that terrifies me, not least all the pain of the actual labour, but I’m okay. I’m ready for whatever comes next and I am going to be a good mom, I am so sure on that. It’s the one thing I’m determined to achieve in this mess of a situation we got ourselves into.

“So, whatever you came here to say, please, just consider that I am okay, that I can deal with what life is throwing at me, and in the nicest way possible, I have not been sitting here pining for you, waiting for you to swoop in like some romantic hero to save me, okay?”

It was clear from the look on his face that Christopher really had not been expecting a speech like that. Quite honestly, Lorelai hadn’t meant to give a speech at all, but once she started she just found she couldn’t stop. She had to lay it all out to Chris. He had to understand what her life had become since he saw her last, because there was just no way she could afford to have him walk in and ruin it all. Lorelai just wasn’t allowing that to happen, no way, no how.

“Wow.” Chris shook his head. “I didn’t... wow,” he repeated, looking stunned for a while. “You really did this. You figured it out and you’re just doing it.”

“Didn’t really have much of a choice.” Lorelai shrugged. “Look, Christopher, I know there were plans that we made before all this happened, and then there were plans our parents tried to make for us after it happened. Neither of those apply anymore. I had to make a new plan and this is it. Me, my house, my baby. That’s it.”

“Lor, come on,” said Chris with a sigh. “I get the whole independent thing but this is my baby too. I want to be a part of her life.”

“And you can be, obviously,” Lorelai assured him, “but we’re not... Chris, you and me, it’s not going to happen.”

She looked away when she said it, not because she didn’t mean it, but because she felt guilty having to do this to Christopher. He was a nice guy really, she never would’ve dated him so long if he wasn’t, or slept with him for that matter. That didn’t mean she wanted to marry him or be with him forever. As tough as it might be for him to hear, that had never really been her plan.

“I know you said before that you didn’t want to get married-”

“And I meant it,” she insisted, cutting in fast. “I still mean it, Christopher. If you want to be a part of this baby’s life, I will never, ever stop you. You can call, you can visit, and I will always make sure you know where we are and what’s going on if that’s what you want, but you and me? It’s not going to happen,” she said definitely, shaking her head. “I can’t do that to you. I can’t expect anybody to make their life all about me or my baby. I won’t.”

The crack in her voice came only when she recalled a previous conversation that had gone very similarly to this. That one had actually caused Lorelai more pain than this one, because what she felt for Christopher was so different from what she felt for Luke. That didn’t change the fact that she knew she was right to say just exactly what she was saying, to both of them.

Chris didn’t put up too much of a fight. Lorelai never expected him to. When she laid out the plan for him, told him he could still go to university and live his life just as he wanted, free of responsibility, but with access to their child as and when he liked, well, what was there to argue with, really?

A half hour later he was wishing her well, asking her to let him know when the baby came, and then heading off home to pack for college. Lorelai couldn’t say she was hurt by how easily he accepted the chance to run. She had made her peace with it all. Strange then that she found herself crying again within a minute.

“Lorelai?”

She was still standing in the doorway of her little house when she heard her name and looked up with a genuine smile to see one of her favourite people approaching.

“Hi,” she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “Mr Danes, you finally came to visit.”

“I did,” he agreed, smiling back at her, though the concern was evident in his eyes as he got closer. “Well, I’ve heard so many wonderful things about this home of yours, but I’m assuming not all is quite as well as it has been,” he said with a look.

Lorelai shook her head.

“I’m fine, honestly,” she promised. “I just had another visitor is all. Christopher, the baby’s father.”

“And he upset you?” asked William, putting a comforting hand to her shoulder. “Do I need to teach this boy some manners?”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Lorelai assured him. “It’s all fine, I promise. Please, come in and see the house.”

It didn’t take long to give him the tour, since the house was really all one big room, with a screened off area hiding what passed for a bathroom. Still, William smiled and said it was all very cosy and perfectly suitable for Lorelai and her child.

“I kind of just wish she would hurry up and get here now.” Lorelai sighed, one hand rubbing her swollen belly. “Her due date was yesterday and here we still are.”

“Babies are a law unto themselves,” William advised. “Now, with Lucas, he arrived right on time, but when Rose was expecting Lizzie, goodness, we thought she would never get here. I believe she was almost a week late.”

“Oh. Yay,” said Lorelai flatly. “That sounds great.”

William laughed at the glum look on her face, he just couldn’t help it.

“Come on now, it’ll be fine,” he promised her. “Now, I didn’t just come over here to see the house, you know? I wondered if you’d like to come to dinner. I’ll admit, I don’t know exactly what Lucas was cooking when I left but it smelt delicious, and I know Lizzie would love to see you too.”

“Oh, I don’t want to get in the way,” said Lorelai awkwardly. “You already have a house full of people.”

“Well then one more can’t hurt, can it?” said William easily. “Besides, my favourite pastime right now is showing off my grandson. He’s grown quite a bit since you saw him. He’s already a month old.”

“He must be,” Lorelai agreed, nodding her head. “Um, sure. I guess I could come to dinner, thanks,” she said then, knowing she had no excuse not to and also knowing it would be nice to eat a real nice home-cooked meal with people she actually liked a lot. “Um, I just need to go to the bathroom,” she said awkwardly then, gesturing towards the curtain at the end of the room.

“I’ll go warm up the truck,” said William, nodding in understanding.

Ten minutes later, he was helping Lorelai into the truck, and another ten minutes or so after that, William was helping her back out of the passenger side at the Danes home. Lorelai felt a little dizzy and forced a breath through her lungs before she walked down the path and up onto the porch. She had seen Luke a few times in the past month, but they hadn’t been alone at all and always kept the topics of conversation as general as anybody ever could. It was all very awkward yet, but she knew in time they would get over it. They were going to have to.

Once inside the house, Lorelai found herself fussed over by both Liz and Jimmy, plus baby Jess thrust under her nose with talk of how cute and how good he was, and how great it would be when Lorelai had her own baby so Jess and the little one could be friends.

Luke must’ve been in the kitchen, Lorelai supposed, because she didn’t see him for the first half hour she was there. When he finally emerged, Lorelai felt her breath hitch in her throat. It was probably no more than four or five days since she saw him last and yet he looked different. Taller or better or something. It made her wonder all over again why she ever told him they couldn’t be together, but Lorelai knew why. She knew only too well.

“Hey, Jimmy. Take him, would ya? I gotta pee before we eat,” said Liz, passing Jess over to her husband before running up the stairs.

The phone rang, taking William away from the room too, and Luke, after telling Lorelai he was glad to see her there beat a hasty retreat back to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner. Lorelai sighed then looked across at Jimmy. It was tough not to smile then.

“So,” she said happily, “turns out you are father material, huh?”

“I don’t know about that,” Jimmy admitted, adjusting the baby in his arms, “but I’m doing what I can. Got myself a job in town. It’s just construction stuff but it’s bringing in money at least. William’s being so great about not charging us a whole bunch of rent, so we’re gonna try and get some cash together to get our own place when we can.”

“Sounds good.” Lorelai smiled. “I’m happy for you, all three of you.”

“Well, we might not be here altogether if not for you,” Jimmy admitted in a low voice. “Talking to you before, it really helped. I never really got a chance to thank you for that.”

“No big deal,” she assured him. “I’m happy to help. Everybody around here has certainly helped me plenty these last few months.”

“And we’re gonna keep on helping you,” Luke insisted as he returned to the room with loaded plates in his hands. “Anything you need, we’re always here,” he said, meeting Lorelai’s eyes for a moment.

“I know,” she said, nodding her head. “Thanks.”

They smiled at each other and all the awkwardness and nerves just melted away as William and Liz both came back into the room and the family settled down to dinner. Lorelai felt herself relax and she actually enjoyed eating her meal in the company of these people. Maybe things were going to be okay. In fact, if she was lucky, maybe they could be even better than she ever would’ve hoped for.


	16. Chapter 16

When it happened, the obvious person to call was Mia, then Christopher, and maybe even her parents. In reality, when Lorelai suddenly realised that what she was feeling was the start of her contractions, she was glad to realise it was late enough in the day that Luke would be home to answer when she rang his home number. He said hello twice before she could find her voice and tell him what was happening, and then he was in motion, promising Lorelai everything was going to be okay. She believed him, implicitly, even as the pain continued to shoot through her body at more and more regular intervals.

Even Luke, in all his heroic glory, couldn’t keep Lorelai from feeling terrified, though it was a little comforting to see him a little scared also. At least she wasn’t alone. With Luke around, she never could be. He got her into the truck and drove her to the hospital, all the time telling she was going to be okay, that everything was going to be okay.

Lorelai wasn’t really bothered by the words he was saying, his voice was comfort to her, his hand on her arm every now and then, though obviously most of the time he was concentrating on driving with two hands on the wheel. At the hospital, of course they mistook him for the father and Lorelai knew it must’ve hurt him when she explained that he wasn’t. Still, now wasn’t the time for confusion or doubt.

She was wheeled away from Luke then, her hand gripping his until the last moment, as he repeated his promise from the truck to stay right here and wait for her. She knew he wouldn’t be alone long. Lorelai had called Christopher before they left for the hospital, just like she promised, and was sure that Mia and William would come running when they heard what was happening too. Still, that was too much to think about for now. She had to concentrate on breathing through the pain and then pushing when she was told to. Here was the point where her baby became the whole of Lorelai’s priority, never to be replaced.

As Luke watched her disappear from sight down the corridor, he knew it too. Lorelai was the woman he loved more than anything in the world, and he wished he could take this pain for her, but no-one could. What today meant was that she was about to be a mother with a living, breathing child out in the world for her to raise. From now on, everything was going to be about Lorelai’s daughter, and he could never blame her for that. Luke only wished he could be a real part of it.

Sometimes he truly wished he was the father. He knew what that meant, how impossible it was, what a scandal it could’ve been, but he wouldn’t have cared. He would’ve pretended if that was what Lorelai would’ve wanted, even if his father didn’t approve, though he might’ve been okay with it. Lorelai wouldn’t hear of it. She was so determined that this was her situation and she was dealing with it her way, unwilling to bring anybody down with her, be it Christopher, Luke, or anyone else who tried to be more than a friend to her. The friendship, the support, she would accept that graciously and with a smile, but nothing else. No marriage proposals, no vows of love and commitment. She was so strong and independent and amazing to Luke, which only gave him more reasons to love her.

“Lucas?”

“Dad,” he greeted his father, getting up from the chair in the hallway to meet him and Mia both as they rushed towards him. “She just went through to the delivery room.”

“Oh, the poor girl,” said Mia worriedly. “She’s so young and this is such a trauma for a woman. I may not have been through it myself but I remember Rose. Oh, nature can be so cruel.”

“She’ll be fine, Mia,” said William kindly, his arm around her shoulders a moment. “Lorelai is a very strong young lady and you know girls her age have had children before. I know she’ll be just fine.”

He was telling Luke as much as he was telling Mia and they all knew it. Clearly the worry Luke was feeling showed on his face, but he forced a smile for his father’s sake, not wanting to show fear. Of course, Lorelai would be okay, he knew that. Actually, most of his concern was born out of a selfish place. It was almost as if it were all too late now. The situation had gotten to a point where it could no longer be denied or changed. Not that there was very much opportunity for that before, but still. A pregnancy was very real, especially when a person was the size Lorelai had got to, but a baby was still a bigger deal somehow. An actual human person you could hold in your arms, with a face to see and a name to be called by. Luke could hardly believe this was happening and really don’t know what to feel about it, even though he’d had months enough to figure it out.

“Through here, Richard,” said a voice then.

Luke looked up in time to see Emily Gilmore ushering her husband into the hallway where he was sat, flanked by his father and Mia. Clearly Lorelai’s mother recognised him from before and did not look at all happy to see him now.

“Mr and Mrs Gilmore,” said William, getting to his feet. “Lorelai is in the delivery room. We’re only been here a half hour so you haven’t missed any news.”

“How is she?” asked Richard, looking oddly panicked to Luke’s mind.

It was all in stark contrast to Emily who still maintained her superior air and cold exterior. Luke wished she were different for Lorelai’s sake, for her soon-to-be born granddaughter’s sake, but he doubted she ever would be.

“I don’t care, I’m going to see my daughter,” Emily was saying when Luke came back to reality. “Nurse? Nurse!” she called over the reception desk, ringing the bell for good measure.

Luke winced at all the noise, praying to whoever or whatever might be listening that Emily didn’t get her own way. He couldn’t imagine Lorelai would want her mother in the delivery room, not a chance. He felt that perhaps his prayers had been answered when a different nurse appeared through the doors, smiling as she approached them all.

“The family of Lorelai Gilmore?” she checked, not even bothering to wait for an answer before she made her announcement. “Well, in one of the faster labours we’ve witnessed here recently, Lorelai has delivered a beautiful baby girl. Mother and daughter doing just fine.”

* * *

Lorelai knew she would be due a lot of visitors just as soon as the doctor said it was okay for them to come in. Her parents came and went within ten minutes, the whole thing so awkward, with Lorelai feigning a semi-conscious state for the most part. Then Mia and William visited, promising that Luke was on his way next. He was just updating Liz and Jimmy on the happy news and no doubt they were telling just about anybody who would listen in Stars Hollow. That pleased Lorelai more than was necessary - she just loved all those crazy people in her new hometown.

“Hey,” said Luke as he came cautiously into the room a while later.

“Hey yourself,” replied Lorelai, pulling herself up as much as she could in her bed. “Come and meet my daughter.”

Luke was smiling as he approached the bed, stopping a foot away from the nearby cot where the baby lay sleeping. He peered in at her as if afraid and Lorelai couldn’t help but smile. Only strong, tough, dependable, wonderful Luke could be afraid of a baby.

“She’s beautiful,” he said, nodding his head. “Looks just like you.”

He glanced up at Lorelai and, even after everything, she was sure she felt herself blushing. He had some power over her that would be far too easy to give into right now. Lorelai had to be determined to stand firm.

“Luke Danes, meet Lorelai Leigh Gilmore” she said, tilting her head towards the crib.

“You’re naming her after you?”

“Why not? Guys do it all the time.”

“That is true” Luke agreed. “Well, she’s your kid. She may as well have your name.”

“That’s what I thought,” said Lorelai, yawning terribly in the next moment.

“I shouldn’t be here, you need sleep,” said Luke, turning to go.

Lorelai caught a hold of his sleeve and pulled.

“Please don’t. Not yet anyway,” she urged him. “I really wanted to thank you for today,” she went on, as momentum made him sit down on the very edge of the bed beside her. “Actually, I wanted to thank you for more than just today. Ever since I met you, Luke, you’ve been a pretty amazing friend. The absolute best friend I could’ve asked for, to be honest with you. I am beyond grateful for all the help, I need you to know that.”

“I know,” he promised her. “It’s no problem. You needed help, so I helped. It’s what people do.”

“Not all people,” Lorelai reminded him. “There’s plenty who wouldn’t have but you, and your dad and Mia, you’ve all been amazing. I just... I need you to know what that means to me. What I said before about you and me, I can’t go back on that. I meant every word, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t mean a lot to me, Luke. You absolutely do. You always will,” she said definitely, her hand moving to take a hold of his own.

“I understand,” he promised, squeezing her hand back. “You’re always going to mean a lot to me too, Lorelai. Both of you.”

She sniffled then and tears filled her eyes, even though she was smiling. Today had been long and painful and tough. Luke didn’t want to make it any harder for her, and it was beyond clear that Lorelai really needed to rest.

“I’m gonna go now, let you get some sleep,” he told her gently. “Christopher is... well, he called the inn and somebody came down to let us know he’s on his way. They had trouble getting a hold of him at college and then he has that long drive back, so... well, he’ll be here soon.”

Lorelai nodded in understanding, yawning one more time, her hand still holding on tight to Luke’s own, even as her eyes started close of their own accord.

Luke sat there watching her drift off for a while and then realised he should really go. It wasn’t easy to extricate his hand from Lorelai’s grip and he almost didn’t want to do it at all, but he couldn’t stay forever. It wasn’t his place, even if a part of him wished it were, and it was a very large part.

Finally getting his fingers untangled from Lorelai’s own, he placed her arm gently onto the bed and got up to go. Luke stopped a moment by the baby’s crib and peered in one more time. Little Lorelai stirred in her sleep and Luke smiled.

“You know you’re one lucky little girl?” he whispered to her. “Your mommy is the most beautiful, amazing woman in the whole world, and she loves you more than anything. I know she’s going to do such a good job raising you, you’re never going to regret being her daughter, but you know, it’s not just going to be the two of you.

“You’ve got a family, kid, and I don’t just mean your stuck up grandparents or your father who has his own life. I’m talking about Mia, who owns the inn where you’re gonna live, and my dad, William, he’s going to help out too. Then there’s my sister Liz, and Jimmy, and their kid, Jess - I’ll bet the two of you are gonna be real good friends.

“Most important of all, you have me, kid. That’s right, Luke Danes is here for you and your mom, always. So, if you ever need anything, I want you to let me know. I can’t be your dad, that’s not my job, I don’t... I don’t have the right, but I can be whatever else you need.

“I’m hoping maybe, someday, your mom is going to let me do the right thing here, be sort of official in her life and yours, but I can wait as long as it takes for that. In the meantime, I just need you to know I’m here, for now and for always. When you get older, I realise I’m gonna have to say all this again, so you actually understand, but you’re gonna be smart like your mom, I know that, so maybe you already get it.”

Luke turned to look at Lorelai one more time. Unable to resist the temptation, he moved towards the bed and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, then turned on his heel and headed right on out of the door.

He never saw the single tear streak down the cheek of his supposedly-slumbering beloved. Of course, Lorelai had heard every word.


	17. Chapter 17

_7 years later - 8th October 1991_

“I can’t believe I’m getting a diner for my birthday!”

“Sweetie, seriously. One more time - it’s Luke’s diner, not Rory’s diner,” Lorelai reminded her hopping, skipping, jumping seven-year-old daughter.

“But he’s opening it on my birthday,” Rory argued, “for me.”

Lorelai made a thoughtful face.

“Well, kind of, I guess,” she relented then.

After all, when trying to figure out when the place would be ready to open, Luke definitely had insisted to the contractor that it had to be this particular Tuesday. Most folks would probably expect a new business to open on a Monday, or maybe in the case of an eatery a Friday or Saturday, but no. Luke had realised that they could open somewhere in the second week of October and that was it, decision made, Rory’s birthday was the occasion. No kid could be more thrilled about it than she was.

“You really shouldn’t be this jazzed,” said Lorelai, checking both ways before they crossed the street to the diner itself. “I’m pretty sure we’re still going to have to pay for whatever we eat.”

“Nuh-uh.” Rory shook her head, sending her pig tails swinging wildly. “Luke always cooks me special dinner on my birthday and we never paid before.”

“But he never ran a diner before, sweets, only a hardware store. You never expected a free hammer, did you?”

“Grandpa Danes gave me a pretty plant pot for free once. We still have it,” said Rory with a brave smile.

“Yeah, I know,” said Lorelai, reaching down to hug her little girl a moment.

It was still strange to be without ‘Grandpa Danes’ as Rory had so easily taken to calling him. He started insisting Lorelai call him William after a while, but as comfortable as she was around him, it never quite felt natural. He was Mr Danes, Luke’s father, one of the nicest guys Lorelai ever met in her life, possibly second only to his own son.

“Oh, it’s you,” said the man himself, opening up the diner door and ushering Lorelai and Rory inside.

“And a howdy doo to you too, Mr Grumpy Pants,” said Lorelai with a smirk.

Rory giggled at the name often used for Luke, but only by her mother. The younger Lorelai would never be so rude herself.

“I’m stressed, so sue me,” Luke countered, expression pulling a complete one eighty in the next moment as he crouched down to Rory’s level. “Hey, Birthday Girl.”

“Hey, Luke,” she said, grinning wide. “Thank you for my gift.”

“I didn’t give you your gift yet,” he told her, frowning some.

“Sure, you did,” Rory insisted. “You got me the diner.”

At that he laughed, even though he was pretty sure she was serious.

“Well, I guess it is for you and your mom as much as for me,” he considered. “But, I did also buy you something else,” he admitted, pulling a package from behind his back and presenting it to her.

“Thank you, thank you!” Rory bounced excitedly, throwing her arms around his neck.

Luke hugged her back, smiling at Lorelai who hovered nearby, enchanted as ever by the relationship between her daughter and the man that had been her best friend for so long now. It was crazy really how well the two of them got along. Lorelai might’ve been jealous if she wasn’t the one and only person Rory loved more than Luke.

Christopher had visited a few times, but not as much as he originally promised to do that first day at the hospital. It was Luke who kept to his vow. He was as much a father to Rory and a partner to Lorelai as she would allow him to be.

Luke never pushed his luck with Lorelai. Never tried to date her or kiss her or be romantic at all, he was just there, ever-present, ever-willing to help and be the best he could be for the Gilmore girls. Lorelai adored him for it. She loved him like she never loved anybody else she ever met. In her life, there was Rory and then there was Luke. After that, there was everybody else.

“You okay?” asked Luke as he got back to his feet and caught Lorelai staring into nothing.

“Sure, yeah,” she assured him, shaking her head and refocusing her eyes. “I know I said it before but this place looks amazing,” she told him then. “Seriously, to think that six months ago it was still a hardware store.”

“Yeah, it is weird to think of it that way now,” said Luke, nodding his head. “I’m happy with it, mostly.”

“Only mostly?”

“Well, you know?” He shrugged his shoulders, adjusted his hat. “I just... I still keep wondering... would he really be okay with this?”

“Yes,” said Lorelai immediately. “Luke, come on, you know your dad would be so proud. He left you the store because he knew he was putting it in good hands, and if anybody knew that you weren’t exactly hardware salesman guy it was him. He would want you to do this, to have your dream, no matter what it was.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” said Luke with a lopsided smile. “Thanks, Lorelai.”

“Anytime. You’ve been there for me so many times. It’s nice to get to repay the favour once in a while.”

“Mommy, look!” Rory suddenly cried having carefully pried the pretty paper away from her gift to save (Lorelai had no idea where she got that habit from). “Unicorn pajamas!”

“And with your initials on ‘em too,” said Lorelai with just as much delight as her daughter. “Wow, that’s so cool. I’m actually jealous.”

“Maybe Luke will get you some for your birthday,” said Rory easily.

She missed the semi-awkward look that passed between her mom and Luke at that remark, her attention taken by a tapping on the door and familiar faces appearing through the glass.

“Jess!” Rory cried happily, waving to her friend.

Luke moved to let Liz and Jimmy into the diner, along with Jess who immediately ran to Rory. The kids were immediately caught up with each other, talking about books and school and the new diner and everything else. Liz laughed at the way they were together and then moved to hug Luke.

“Hey, big brother,” she greeted him happily. “Wow, look at this place.”

“Liz, I can’t believe you’re here. You came all the way from New York for a diner opening?”

“For my brother’s diner opening? Of course, I did,” she said definitely.

“Besides, we knew it was a certain little princess’ birthday,” said Jimmy loudly.

“A princess?” said Lorelai joining in the game. “Well, I don’t know who you could be talking about.”

“Well, we brought this gift for somebody,” Jimmy continued. “Hey, Lizzie, you maybe remember who this was for?”

“You two, seriously. It’s like talking to Abbott and Costello.” Liz rolled her eyes, taking the wrapped gift from her husband’s hands. “Here you go, sweetie,” she said, turning to Rory now. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you, Aunt Liz,” she said politely, grinning like a fool. “Thank you, Uncle Jimmy.”

“You’re welcome, kid,” he assured her, smiling along with all the other adults as the kids scampered into a corner and pulled themselves up into a booth to continue talking, as well as open up Rory’s gift.

“She’s so cute,” said Liz with a sigh. “Makes me want a girl too.”

“Come on, you got a handsome little boy right there,” Lorelai assured her. “Besides, you really have the energy or the money for two of those? I know I haven’t.”

“We haven’t either,” said Jimmy definitely. “We’re happy with one anyway.”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely happy,” Liz agreed easily, leaning back against him.

His arms went around her on automatic as they shared a kiss. Lorelai couldn’t help smiling at the sight. To think at one time Jimmy had been talking about running away, unable to believe he could ever be a decent husband and father. He certainly proved himself wrong over the past few years. He and Liz were as in love as any two people Lorelai ever saw, they were raising Jess into a real decent kid too and getting on pretty well in New York these days.

“Mom?” said Rory, rushing back over with Jess on her heels. “Did you bring juice boxes? I’m kind of thirsty.”

“I didn’t,” said Lorelai, shaking her head. “Um, we could run to the store, I guess.”

“Isn’t this a diner?” asked Liz, looking to her brother. “You got drinks, right?”

“Yeah, but we’re not open until four,” he said, squirming some. “I have some stuff upstairs though. You guys want to go up and see what you can find?” he asked the kids. “I have to be down here, I’ve got the guys with the banner arriving soon.”

“It’s cool, bro. We’ll go up with them,” Liz offered, pulling Jimmy by the hand. “It was a long drive from New York, I could use coffee and a bathroom break too.”

“Thanks, Liz!” Lorelai called behind them as they all disappeared.

“You don’t want to go up too?” Luke asked her, even though he was really glad she stayed truth be told.

“Somebody needs to stay with you, make sure your head doesn’t explode,” she said, leaning back on the counter with a grin. “You can be such a stress head sometimes.”

“I’m a businessman now, it comes with the territory,” said Luke smartly. “Honestly though, I’m glad you stayed down here anyway.”

“Oh, yeah?” said Lorelai, tilting her head. “I thought Anna would be here to keep you company.”

“Anna?”

“Sure. I mean, you guys have been on, what? A half dozen dates now?”

“Just three,” Luke corrected her, “and it is nothing like a serious relationship. Nothing’s... you know, happened or anything. In fact, I doubt I’ll be seeing her again.”

“Oh, okay,” said Lorelai, trying not to smile too much. “You don’t seem to have so much luck with girlfriends.”

“I don’t have girlfriends,” Luke told her definitely, coming to lean beside her on the counter. “You know that better than anyone.”

“But you date.”

“Yeah, I date, sometimes,” he admitted.

The two of them stood there, leaning back on the counter, side by side. They were staring at their feet even as they talked to each other, standing so close that their elbows touched more often than they didn’t. It was that weird combination of awkward and comfortable that so often existed between Luke and Lorelai when they were left alone together. The unresolved sexual tension that seemed impossible to overcome, at least up to now.

“So, Anna’s not so much fun, huh?” asked Lorelai, scuffing her shoe on the floor.

“No, she’s fun. She’s a nice person and she’s not unattractive.”

“High praise, Lucas.”

“Do not call me that,” he warned her, bumping his shoulder against hers.

“Do not use your body weight against me,” she countered, pushing back as hard as she could - he didn’t move an inch. “Cheater!” she said, looking up at him.

Their eyes met and the world went away. It happened every once a while, lately more often than ever, but usually it didn’t last. Quite often some outside source broke the moment, like Rory or Mia or some random denizen of the Hollow. This time there was nobody to interrupt, and somehow, neither Luke not Lorelai seemed prepared to look away.

“You really wanna know why things aren’t working out with Anna?” he asked her.

“If you wanna tell me.” Lorelai nodded, holding her breath until the answer came.

This was a gamble. Nobody was more aware of that than Luke, but he just couldn’t take this anymore.

“Lorelai, I can’t have a relationship with any other woman, because they’re not you,” he admitted, breathing a sigh of relief now that the truth, too long held back, had finally been spoken. “I know you don’t wanna hear it or at least you didn’t want to for a long time, but things are different now, right? I mean, you’ve proved you can cope alone, that you and Rory can handle things without any help, or very little help at least. I haven’t pushed, I haven’t interfered, but I’ve always been here, and as far as I can recall, I’ve never let you down.”

“Never once,” Lorelai agreed, swallowing hard.

“So, you trust me, I know you care about me, and I... I could not love you more, Lorelai, you and Rory both,” he promised her, hands gently resting on her shoulders as he faced her now. “And if you really don’t want to be more than friends, I’ll find a way to deal with that, but honestly-”

Before he could say another word, Lorelai pushed herself forward and kissed him firmly on the lips. Her arms wound around his neck as Luke refused to waste an opportunity and kissed her back with everything he had. After seven years of waiting, it really was quite a kiss that they shared, and even when they parted, they remained close, foreheads pressed together.

“Wow,” said Lorelai breathlessly. “If I knew you’d gotten that good, I’d’ve done this sooner,” she joked, before thinking better of it. “Seriously though, Luke, if we’re gonna do this, it has to be... well, serious.”

“Lorelai, you know me,” he told her earnestly. “If we do this, I am in. I am all in. You’re not scared, are you?”

“Scared? With you? Never,” Lorelai promised him. “I know I’m always safe with you. You’re... you’ve just always been there for me, Luke, and I know I’ve made things so hard for you. Geez, that was dirty,” she said to herself as she realised it.

Luke couldn’t help but chuckle at her unintentional joke.

“The point is,” Lorelai continued then, “when I need you, you’re always there, and when I said I wanted us to just be friends, you respected that, even though I know it was killing you, but it’s how it had to be. I couldn’t let it be any other way, not back then.”

“And now?”

“Now, things are different,” Lorelai considered. “We’re different. Rory’s growing up so fast, I have my life in order and so do you. The future’s looking pretty bright for all of us, so how about we enjoy that future together?”

“Together? For real?” asked Luke, hardly daring to believe this particular dream was coming true for him.

“For real.” Lorelai nodded, her hand going to his cheek. “You know, I’ve been thinking about it for a while but me and Rory... I always worry what she might think. I mean, she loves you so much, but having you in her life is different to having you be, like, a step-father or something, and then the other day when we were talking about what she’d like for her birthday, she turns to me and she says, ‘If I could have anything in the world for my birthday, I’d like for Luke to live with us, in a house in Stars Hollow.’”

“She said that?” Luke checked, eyes wide.

“Cross my heart,” Lorelai confirmed. “She loves you, Luke. Almost as much as I do, I think. You’ve been more of a father to her then Christopher ever has and you... you just mean so much to me. If you want to be with us, we’d love to be with you.”

Luke couldn’t help it, he just had to kiss her then before he could manage to form the words for a real answer.

“I never wanted anything else,” he told Lorelai as they parted from that kiss.

There wasn’t a chance for another word to be spoken as a rapping on the door signalled the arrival of the guys with the banner. Luke reluctantly let go of Lorelai and moved to let them in.

Lorelai watched him go, her face aching from how wide she was smiling. She stared unseeing through the diner window for a few moments until her eyes suddenly focused on the street outside. That spot right there on the corner, that was where she first ran into Luke, one rainy day in April 1984. Now here they were, so many years later, with so much having changed, and still he was somebody she could depend on, somebody she loved so much.

“You okay?” he asked, returning to her side. “Lorelai?”

“I’m more than okay,” she promised, pulling him closer. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier, actually. In fact... Lucas William Danes, do you... do you wanna marry me?”

Lorelai wasn’t surprised to see shock register on Luke’s face when she asked that question. She certainly hadn’t intended to say it but she wasn’t sorry she had now. It just felt right, she had no regrets no matter his answer.

“Yes, Lorelai,” he said, his arms right around her.

“Yes?”

“Yes!” he confirmed, lifting her up off her feet and spinning her around.

“Oh my gosh!” gasped Rory from behind the counter, rushing out to where her mom and Luke were standing still now. “This is the best birthday ever!” she declared, hugging them both around the legs.

She had to have heard at least the last part of the conversation, and Lorelai was astounded as she realised they were also getting applause from Liz, Jimmy, and Jess too. Luke looked as amazed as she was, but was also smiling just as wide. Lorelai was sure she had never been this happy in the whole of her life before, and somehow, she was sure that feeling was never going to go away from here on out.


End file.
